The German Alexander Zverev, seeded N.1 at the ATP 250 tournament in Los Cabos (Mexico), lost Friday in the semi-final against the Australian Jordan Thompson, who will face the Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final, scorer of Tsitsipas.
Thompson, 40th in the ATP, defeated Zverev, world No.6 and seeded No.1, after a long fight (3h40) in three sets 7-5, 4-6, 7- 6 (7/2) and offers himself the third final of his career on the main circuit, the first on hard court.
The 26-year-old German made his return to the courts in Mexico almost a month after the lost semi-final at the Australian Open against Daniil Medvedev.
“Sascha” Zverev managed to take his opponent to the third set tie-break after saving five match points at 6-5 for the Australian.
But he then cracked during a one-sided decisive game (7/2) against the right-hander from Sydney who has only reached two finals in his career, each time during the Dutch grass tournament in Bois-le- Duke (2019, 2023).
In this tournament played in the far west of Mexico, and with a tough field, Thompson, 29, will still have a lot to do against a high caliber opponent in the final.
He will find Casper Ruud, 12th in the world, winner of two of the three confrontations between the two men.
The 25-year-old Norwegian dominated Stefanos Tsitsipas in two sets 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
The Greek, however, presented himself on conquered ground in Los Cabos, where he had won the only title of his year 2023, at the beginning of August.
But he did not find the solution against the double finalist of Roland-Garros (2022, 2023) who will aim for an 11th trophy on the ATP circuit.
Ruud will try not to be surprised against an opponent who has never progressed beyond the round of 16 in a Grand Slam tournament or Masters 1000, but who managed to beat him in five sets in the first round of Wimbledon in 2021 .
