Alexander Zverev had a chance to secure a final at the 2023 Chengdu Open, and he did it by beating Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.
The German dominated the matchup against Dimitrov in the past on the ATP Tour, and the dominance continued. He's now 7-1 against the Bulgarian after producing yet another solid effort to beat him in straight sets.
Chengdu is not the place you want to play Zverev because the court plays fairly fast and has some elevation, which contributes to his serve being a devastating weapon. He hit nine aces and dominated on his first serve, which was crucial.
Dimitrov did have chances, but he really didn't use them, which will always prove costly against Zverev. The Bulgarian wasn't as aggressive as he needed to be, and it's a shame because Zverev just walls him so well. Dimitrov needs to be aggressive to win the match, and he just lacked it a little bit today.
The first set finished 6-4 for Zverev, which is pretty standard. He generally doesn't smash opponents, focusing on getting the break and then holding it. He did that comfortably behind ten winners and no unforced errors.
The second set was a bit more competitive as Dimitrov brought more heat to the clash by being a bit more aggressive and hitting the ball a bit better. He also gave Zverev overall more trouble on his serve but still couldn't find the breakthrough.
It ultimately never came as both players held serve until the tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Zverev pulled ahead first, and that was enough to secure the win and the final. The final score was 6-4 7-6(2) as the German looks to win another trophy after his triumph in Hamburg earlier this year.
It will be the 32nd final of his career, with a chance to win his 21st trophy.
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