Alcaraz and Zverev, from hammer to hammer

It was a quarter past one in the morning and Carlos Alcaraz was resting peacefully in his hotel, when Alexander Zverev, stumbling block this Sunday (6:30 p.m., La 1 and #Vamos) for the Murcian in the final of the Madrid Masters, still stepped on the central of the Magic Box.

The German, 25 years old and champion last year, had just beaten the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-4, 3-6 and 6-2, in 1h 53m) and was chatting with Alex Corretja, a former player and these days at the microphones of Spanish public television, taking advantage of the tennis players in the interviews he does at the end of the matches.

"This is my favorite track, the Caja Mágica is the best in the world," said the stem from Hamburg, who last week landed in Spain in tears, after having "hit rock bottom" after a defeat in the first round of the tournament. Munich.

The German does not forget the statistics: 21 games, 19 wins and only two losses, none of them recorded at the Manolo Santana stadium.

“I came here without confidence and playing poorly, but this court brings something out of me.

It has been Rafa [Nadal]'s court for 15 years and now it is going to be Carlos's court for the next 15 years, but I hope I can beat him tomorrow”, added the number three.

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Final of the Mutua Madrid Open 2022, live

Zverev does not forget a detail to cling to: the two times that he and the boy from El Palmar have faced each other they have triumphed, both last year;

first on the concrete of Acapulco, in the open air, and then on the one in Vienna, under cover.

Good vibes for a tennis player who in 2021 captured six titles – the Olympic gold, two Masters 1000 and the Masters Cup – and who now, a

, is trying to “orient” his career hand in hand with Sergi Bruguera, with who has been working since the end of March.

After testing with Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer, it is the turn of the Davis Cup captain.

“I have been without a coach for six or seven months, since my father had other things to do, but I need someone to be able to keep an eye on what happens on the tennis court,” explained Zverev, investigated by the ATP since October for alleged ill-treatment towards her ex-partner, in a process about which there is still no news.

In any case, the finalist says he is focused on his desire to be number one and celebrate a Grand Slam, which is why he did not lose a single second and yesterday he stayed to rehearse at dawn after getting Tsitsipas down, just like the day before. after beating Felix-Auger Aliassime.

early morning training

"I'll do some serves before bed, but I'm happy to do it this late, because that means I'm going to play the final," he told Corretja, adding that he would be going to bed four hours later between extra work, recovery and transfer. up to the bedroom.

In other words, Zverev is going against the clock and will have a minimum margin to tackle the clash with Alcaraz, the whirlwind that has revolutionized the present.

The 19-year-old Spaniard, sixth in the world as of Monday and who last year started in Madrid as the 120th, is the youngest finalist in the history of the tournament and the earliest to beat Nadal and Djokovic.

"I was not surprised," Zverev said.

"I know how good it is," he praised.

“In Acapulco I already said that I would be

in 2023, but he has won my bet for a year.

He is incredible, at his age he already looks like an adult.

Tomorrow [for today] I will have the toughest rival of this entire week, that's why I'm going to continue training at this time”, he continued, aware that if he succeeds in Madrid and then in the Foro Italico in Rome, and Djokovic does not reach the Italian final, would rise to the top of the

, since Daniil Medvedev (number two) has been running out of steam since he lost the final in Australia.

Static hit, moving hit

Winner in last year's edition against Matteo Berrettini, the German's options are fundamentally due to the fact that he can give continuity to his serve.

Before Tsitsipas, the service record showed that he won 40 points of the 48 elucidated under his first (83%).

He only signed four

, but it depends on his hammer.

He doesn't lack punch either to Alcaraz, although in a different version;

the Murcian also reaches extremely high speed peaks when stationary (up to 223 kilometers per hour), but its power is expressed even better in motion.

Against Djokovic he gave up 50 winners.

"Here it is very difficult to control your ball," warned the number one.

And Zverev knows it well, who will attend with little sleep and on alert.

“It has no limits”, describes

.

"Having beaten Rafa and Novak gives me a lot of confidence for the final," Alcaraz said.

From deck to deck, the 20th edition of the Madrid tournament awaits a winner.

With the women's dilemma resolved in a lackluster outcome due to the schedule – Ons Jabeur beat Jessica Pegula on the run (7-5, 0-6 and 6-2), after the earthquake caused by

–, the men's will be decided by Vertigo.

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