Alexander the great /In-form Zverev beats Thiem to clinch Madrid Open title

Second seed Alexander Zverev eased past fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4 to win the Madrid Open yesterday, claiming his second title in a week.

The German broke Thiem’s opening service games in each set and didn’t give his Austrian rival a single break chance to win in one hour, 19 minutes.

Zverev won his eighth career title and second of the season after also winning the Munich Open last weekend.

“It is unbelievable,” Zverev said. “This is my third Masters 1000 and I am only 21 years old. It has been an amazing journey.”

Zverev dominated the entire week in the Spanish capital, not losing a single set en route to victory.

Thiem lost his second consecutive final at the Caja Magica. He avenged last year’s final loss to Rafael Nadal by beating him in Friday’s quarter-finals for the Spaniard’s first clay-court loss in a year.

Zverev started strongly when Thiem conceded his first service game with a costly double fault.

Serving to close out the first set, Zverev trailed

0 Alexander Zverev of Germany kisses the trophy after his straight sets win over Austrian Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Open final. 30-0 but used his big serve to force deuce and finally closed out the point when Thiem’s return sailed long.

Zverev started the second set in similar fashion, hitting a deep forehand that Thiem could only send into the net on the final point of his service game to fall behind a break.

Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from this week’s Italian Open citing a muscular injury that occurred during her gruelling three-set win over Kiki Bertens in Saturday’s Madrid Open final – her second title in two weeks after also taking the Prague Open. “After these incredible two weeks of tennis my body needs to rest and recuperate,” said two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova.

In the first round of the Italian Open men’s singles, Stan Wawrinka, playing his first match since February, lost to 55th-ranked Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-4 yesterday.

Wawrinka is still struggling to regain his form following surgery on his left knee. The three-time Grand Slam champion made 30 unforced errors to his American opponent’s 17, was broken once in each set and failed to take advantage of his only two break opportunities.