Thiem or Zverev will become new name on US men’s singles trophy

TENNIS

NEW YORK: Austria's Dominic Thiem and Germany's Alexander Zverev will vie for the US Open title today in a final that will crown a new men's grand slam singles champion for the first time in six years.

Secondseed Thiem has lost three previous grand slam finals — twice to Rafa Nadal at the French Open and once to world No 1 Novak Djokovic in Australia — while Zverev has never previously been beyond the last four at a major.

With Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, the sport’s dominant trio, all absent from the Flushing Meadows final weekend this year, tennis will have a new grand slam champion for the first time since Marin Cilic beat Kei Nishikori to clinch the US Open

By taking the stand, the 22yearold activist had made her point.

Azarenka, who ended Serena Williams’ bid for a recordequalling 24th grand slam title in the semifinals, carried that momentum into the final with a near flawless first set.

One of top returners in the women’s game, an energised

title in 2014.

Federer and Nadal had both opted out of this year’s tournament, and Djokovic exited in the fourth round after an infamous swat of his racket sent a tennis ball into a line judge’s neck.

Azarenka would show her fighting spirit with a break to get back on serve at 34 but Osaka would not be denied, immediately breaking back and holding serve to seal victory.

It marked the first time since Arantxa SanchezVicario in 1994 that a player had dropped the first set of the women’s final and fought back to win the title. — Reuters

after losing to Thiem in their Australian Open semifinal earlier this year.

The seventhranked Zverev came back from a twoset deficit in his semifinal against Pablo Carreno Busta on Saturday, proving he has the grit and determination to pull through when the going gets tough.

‘‘I looked at the scoreboard. I’m down two sets to love in a grand slam semifinal.

‘‘I knew I had to start playing better, to give myself a chance,’’ Zverev said.

‘‘I wanted to give myself . . . set by set, just the opportunity to stay in the match. That's what I did.''

One of the tallest men in the sport at 1.98m, Zverev will look to unleash his massive serve to gain the advantage, after firing off 116 aces during tournament so far, compared with 41 from Thiem.

World No 3 Thiem, however, has committed nearly 70 fewer unforced errors than Zverev in six rounds in New York this year. — Reuters