Zverev goes back to back
Alexander Zverev’s second Citi Open title in a row is merely the latest sign that he is separating himself from the other upand-coming youngsters in tennis.
That doesn’t mean he is sure that guys such as Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal are worrying just yet.
“You’ve got to ask them. I don’t think Roger’s too concerned about it,” Zverev said with a smile. “He’s somewhere in Switzerland right now, enjoying ... his milk from his cow.”
Zverev became the first man in nearly a decade to win consecutive titles at Washington’s hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open, overpowering Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-4 in the final yesterday.
Juan Martin del Potro won the Citi Open in 2008 and 2009.
Zverev hit six aces, and never faced a break point en route to his ninth career ATP title and third of 2018.
“He hit me off the court today,” de Minaur said.
Germany’s Zverev is 21, and Australia’s de Minaur is 19, making for the youngest final on the ATP World Tour since 20-year-old Rafael Nadal beat 19-year-old Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells, Calif. in 2007.
In the women’s tournament, Svetlana Kuznetsova won her second title at the Citi Open, and first at any WTA tournament in two years, by erasing four match points to beat Donna Vekic 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
The seventh-seeded Vekic was one point from victory four times in the second set but was not able to close it out.
Kuznetsova is a two-time Grand Slam champion, but she is currently ranked only 128th, the lowest spot for a women’s champion at the hard-court tournament.
She also won the Citi Open in 2014 . . . .
Mihaela Buzarnescu won her first career singles title at age 30, beating Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-0 in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, Calif . . . .
Second-seeded Fabio Fognini upset top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-2 late Saturday night in the Mifel Open final in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Man City opens big
Despite the tight turnaround after the World Cup, Manchester City’s attacking ruthlessness has not been blunted by fatigue or the English heatwave.
Three weeks after the World Cup finished, the Premier League champions opened the new season by collecting more silverware.
Sergio Aguero scored twice — once in each half — to secure the Community Shield as FA Cup holder Chelsea was beaten 2-0 in London in the traditional curtain raiser to the English season.
While it has been a summer of continuity at City after a record 100-point Premier League haul, Chelsea has gone through more turmoil in recent weeks.
Maurizio Sarri has had only a couple of weeks to work on his new Chelsea squad after the protracted firing of Antonio Conte . . . .
Striker Mario Gomez is retiring from international football after Germany’s first-round exit from the World Cup. Gomez, who scored 31 goals in 78 appearances for Germany, said on Facebook Sunday that “now it is time to make way and give the many young and highly talented lads the opportunity to fulfill their dream.”
Gomez said he would only come back if Germany’s coach sees a need “for improbable reasons” at the 2020 European Championship.
The 33-year-old Stuttgart player is the second to retire from Germany’s national team after its embar- rassing showing in Russia.
Chane Behanan, a member of Louisville’s 2013 men’s basketball national championship team, has been arrested on charges of possessing marijuana and receiving a stolen gun.
The 25-year-old Behanan was arrested Saturday night with three other men following a traffic stop . ...
Ireland’s first Women’s World Cup field hockey final ended in defeat as the Netherlands retained the title with an emphatic 6-0 victory in London. Ireland, the second-lowest ranked country in the tournament, was unable to produce a fairy-tale ending at Lee Valley Hockey Center . . . .
Kento Momota of Japan defeated Shi Yuqi of China 21-11, 21-13 in the men’s final at the badminton world championships in Nanjing, China . . . .
South Africa took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Sri Lanka with a 78-run win in the third one-day international in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
After losing the toss, South Africa scored a daunting 363-7 in Kandy. Sri Lanka never looked in the hunt and was all out for 285 in 45.2 overs as the Proteas clinched the five-match series.