Zverev rips Nishikori, faces Anderson for title

Germany’s Alexander Zverev dominated Japan’s Kei Nishikori 63, 6-4 Saturday in a showdown of top-10 rivals to reach the ATP and WTA Citi Open final against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. Zverev, ranked a career-best eighth this week, dropped only seven points on his serve and never faced a break point in the 63-minute affair, extending ninth-ranked Nishikori’s ATP title drought to 30 events over 18 months.

The 20-year-old from Hamburg will try for his fifth career title and fourth of the year Sunday against 45th-ranked Anderson, who ousted 19th-ranked American Jack Sock 6-3, 6-4 on the Washington hardcourts. “Getting the hardcourt season started with a win would be great,” Zverev said.

Zverev dominated from the start, winning the first 10 points and 12 of the first 13, Nishikori netting a backhand to surrender a decisive break at love in the second game. Both men held from there, Zverev taking the first set in 28 minutes.

Zverev hit a forehand winner to break for a 2-1 lead in the second set and held to the finish, claiming victory when Nishikori netted a forehand. “I played a great match,” Zverev said. “I started 3-0. That helped the confidence. I played really well.”

Zverev, whose fourth-round Wimbledon run was his Grand Slam best, won 31-of-33 first-serve points, all 13 in the first set, and 9-of-14 on his second serve. Zverev is 2-0 against Anderson, winning a 2015 Washington secondround match and a first-round meeting in May on his way to the Rome title, his third crown of 2017 after Montpellier and Munich.

“It’s going to be a tough match. Alex has had a great year,” Anderson said. “For me it’s really focusing on things I can do and playing the best I can.” Anderson reached his first final since winning his third career ATP title in 2015 at WinstonSalem. The lanky 31-year-old from Johannesburg also won at Delray Beach in 2012 and his hometown in 2011.

Nishikori, the 2015 Washington champion, last raised a trophy at Memphis in February 2016, a run that includes six finals losses. “I don’t feel like last year yet, but I feel like if I keep playing my best tennis it will come back,” Nishikori said.

Nishikori was also tired after two long matches that finished after midnight because of rain. “Just a bit tough this week,” Nishikori said. “I had two matches finish at 2 a.m. It wasn’t easy to go to sleep. “It’s not the same when you go to sleep at 4 a.m. It has been a little bit crazy.”