Zverev sets up Madrid final with Sinner after dispatching Blockx 6-2, 7-5

Key facts

• Alexander Zverev defeated Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5 in the Madrid Open semi-final.
• Zverev has reached his fourth Madrid Open final, joining Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
• Blockx, a 21-year-old unseeded Belgian, saved seven break points in the second set.
• Zverev did not face a single break point in the match.
• Sinner leads Zverev 9-4 overall and has won their last eight meetings.
• Sinner has won all four Masters 1000 encounters this season without dropping a set.
• Sinner is chasing a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title, a feat never achieved before.
• Blockx rose 34 places to No. 35 in the live rankings after his run.

Zverev powers past Blockx to reach fourth Madrid final

Alexander Zverev, the second seed, ended Alexander Blockx's remarkable Madrid run with a composed 6-2, 7-5 victory on Friday evening to reach his fourth final at the Mutua Madrid Open. The German becomes the third man alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to achieve that at this event. Zverev imposed himself from the first game, hitting through Blockx with a power and consistency the 21-year-old had not encountered all week. The Belgian, who had beaten Auger-Aliassime, Cerundolo and Ruud on his way to the last four, found the experience gap Zverev represents at this level in Madrid – where the German has now won 30 matches – too wide to bridge. Blockx pushed him in the second set, but Zverev held his nerve and closed it out 7-5.

Blockx's Cinderella run ends with a lesson in top-tier tennis

Alexander Blockx entered the main draw at the last minute on Friday before the tournament began. He leaves Madrid having risen 34 places to No. 35 in the live rankings, and become the third Belgian to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final since the series began in 1990. "I never thought I would get that far," Blockx had said after beating Ruud. "But once you get confident and you feel your game, a lot can happen." The 21-year-old saved seven break points in the second set, but Zverev took his eighth opportunity to go 6-5 ahead and then served things out. Zverev did not face a single break point in the match, winning 72% of points on his own serve in the first set.

A familiar and formidable opponent awaits in the final

Awaiting Zverev in Sunday's final is a familiar and formidable opponent: world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. It will be the fifth consecutive Masters 1000 meeting between the two. Sinner has won all four of their most recent encounters at this level, in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo, without dropping a set. Sinner leads their overall head-to-head 9-4 and has won their last eight meetings, including all four of their Masters 1000 encounters this season. Sinner earlier defeated Arthur Fils in the first semi-final, setting up the clash between the two most in-form male players on the planet. Sinner is chasing a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title – a feat no player has achieved in the history of the series.

Zverev candid about the scale of the task

On court on Friday, Zverev was candid about the challenge ahead. "I don't think there will be more pressure on him because if you're world No 1 you have pressure every single week. I think he's used to it. Tennis is very, very easy for him right now," Zverev said. "Maybe on Sunday I'll manage to make it a bit more difficult for him." That is where the gap stands. Zverev acknowledged the difficulty: "I am very happy to be in the final. There were a lot of tough battles, especially at the start of the tournament. I am looking forward to playing Jannik again and looking forward to a tough match. The better player will win on Sunday."

What's at stake on Sunday

If Sinner wins the final on Sunday, he will have won every Masters 1000 tournament and every Grand Slam, a feat that has only ever been achieved by Djokovic. The Italian has been in imperious form, dropping just one set en route to the final. Zverev, meanwhile, has reached his fifth consecutive Masters 1000 semi-final and dropped just one set on the way to the final, against Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals. The final promises to be a test of Zverev's ability to break his losing streak against Sinner. The German will know that he is in with a chance if he serves as well as he did against Blockx.

The bottom line

• Zverev will face Sinner in the Madrid Open final on Sunday, seeking to end an eight-match losing streak.
• Sinner has dominated their recent Masters 1000 encounters, winning all four this season without dropping a set.
• Blockx's run to the semi-finals lifted him 34 places in the rankings and marked the best performance by a Belgian at a Masters 1000 since 1990.
• Zverev became the third man after Federer and Nadal to reach four Madrid Open finals.
• Sinner is chasing a historic fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title, a feat never achieved before.
• The winner of Sunday's final will have a significant boost ahead of the Italian Open and French Open.