The German wunderkind does it again.

Alexander Zverev reached his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Pablo Carreno Busta in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau. The 20-year-old produced his finest tennis of the season to surge past his Spanish opponent in 1 hour, 28 minutes.

Zverev, who last season became the youngest player since Novak Djokovic to win multiple ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in one season after triumphs in Rome and Montreal, looked comfortable in the cool night conditions on Crandon Park’s Stadium court, striking 30 winners to 21 unforced errors. 

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The German was dominant on serve, crushing 10 aces and winning a total of 78 per cent of service points in the match. Although Carreno Busta held his own on serve in the first set, he was unable to keep with Zverev’s relentless pressure on return and surrendered two breaks of serve in the match, both coming in the second set. 

The first set was tightly contested, with both players trying to wrestle control of points from their preferred positions on the baseline. While Carreno Busta grinded away from the back of the court, looking to control points with his forehand when the opportunity arose, Zverev ruthlessly attacked with his backhand, pushing the 26-year-old Spaniard back and opening the court for a barrage of winners.

The two contested a high-quality first set tie-break, with early momentum swinging Carreno Busta’s way, as he surged ahead 3/0 with an early mini-break. Zverev, however, raised his level to reclaim control, hitting a series of hot-shot backhands to eventually claim it in just under an hour. From there, it was smooth sailing for the World No. 5, who closed out victory with a service game to love, sealed with an ace.

“I tried to be more aggressive. I made some winners; made some backhand winners finally in the match and found my rhythm,” said Zverev, reflecting on the tie-break. “I think after that, I started to play really well, not only in the tie-break but also the second set.

After a slow start to 2018, Zverev appears to be rounding into form. The final in Miami Open is his first of the season and first since winning the Rogers Cup title in Montreal in 2017. The win will see him rise to at least No. 4 in the ATP Rankings next week; should he win the title, he’ll return to his career-high ranking of No. 3, achieved last November. 

“I’m happy where I am right now, and hopefully it will be another great match here and then I can go to the clay court season,” said the German.

Zverev will face American John Isner, who overcame Juan Martin del Potro in two sets earlier in the day, in the final.

Sunshine, sand and scenery. The Spanish resort town of Marbella has long been the playground of Europe’s rich and famous, boasting miles of pristine beaches and perfect weather.

This week, the beachfront mecca welcomes a new chapter of tennis on the ATP Challenger Tour. Situated along the Costa del Sol on the southern edge of Spain, Marbella hosts the inaugural Casino Admiral Trophy, a €43,000 event.

With the tranquility of the Mediterranean Sea just steps away, players have descended on the Club de Tenis Puente Romano for the second time. Six years ago, a Challenger was held in the same club and now it has returned with a new identity and an eye on the future.

As Spain’s longtime stalwarts continue to compete into their 30s, the proud European nation is looking towards the Next Generation of stars that will fly the flag in the years to come. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, junior Wimbledon champion in 2017, earned his first match win this year on the ATP Challenger Tour after being awarded a main draw wild card. The 18-year-old is hoping to gain experience on the circuit as he begins his ascent up the ATP Rankings.

“It’s great to play at home, with all my friends and family here,” Davidovich Fokina told ATPWorldTour.com. “It’s just great to have a wild card at a Challenger like this and a thrill to play here.

“The level here is very high and the players are very good. There are Top 100 guys here and no easy matches. You have to suffer on the court to win. It’s a tough event, but an important one for me.”

Davidovich Fokina, who hails from nearby Malaga, is projected to make his Top 400 debut after claiming a first-round upset of Norbert Gombos, before falling to Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti. He was competing in just his fourth tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour.

With fellow #NextGenATP Spaniards Nicola Kuhn, Jaume Munar and Carlos Taberner also surging ahead, the nation has much to look forward to. Munar qualified for his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, while Taberner and Kuhn recently won their ATP World Tour debuts, in Montpellier and Miami, respectively.

Similar to Kuhn, who has a German father and Russian mother, Davidovich Fokina also owns a multi-cultural background, with a Swedish father and Russian mother. 

Another 18-year-old making strides in Marbella is Australia’s Alexei Popyrin. Also a junior Grand Slam champion in 2017, at Roland Garros, Popyrin is a native of Sydney but resides in Marbella. Having moved to Spain eight years ago, he relished the opportunity to compete in his adopted hometown. 

“I feel great playing at home,” said Popyrin. “I practise on these courts a lot. I have a lot of friends coming to watch me. Even friends who don’t even play tennis. There are even fans here that I don’t know. It’s a great feeling to have them on your side.

“The level at these Challengers is tough. It’s much stronger than the tournaments I’ve been playing recently, but I’ve started to get accustomed to it and raise my game. I hope to take the next step and get to the ATP World Tour level this year too.”

Popyrin also took full advantage of his wild card in advancing to the second round. Right behind Davidovich Fokina in the ATP Rankings, he moved up to a projected career-high just outside the Top 400. 

Top seed @Robertocarba93 and #NextGenATP @alexdavidovich1 sign autographs following their first round wins @casinoadmiralt. Two of three ?? to advance in Marbella. pic.twitter.com/hppVyZRN8e

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) March 28, 2018

Popyrin, who upset both Federico Delbonis and Nicolas Mahut to qualify for his first ATP World Tour main draw in Sydney, is also enjoying a Challenger breakthrough in his first full year as a professional. He would reach his first quarter-final as a qualifier in Cherbourg, France last month.

“I am sure that in the next one or two years they will do great at the tournament,” said Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb. “Davidovich has very fast hands and hits the ball on the fast and deep with his forehand. And Popryin has a lot of potential to have a great serve, simply by his height. His footwork is not bad for such a tall guy either.”

Leitgeb has plenty of experience running a professional tournament at a high level, as the current owner of the ATP World Tour 250 event in Lyon and having organised the former Austrian tournament in St. Pölten and Pörtschach. It is also 20 years since he ran the successful Challenger in Graz, Austria.

“This a great place to play a Challenger,” added top seed Roberto Carballes Baena, who hails from nearby Granada and recently claimed his maiden ATP World Tour title in Quito. “All the Spaniards love to play at home as much as possible. For me, it’s very close to my home in Granada and it’s a pleasure to have my family come out for my matches.”

Spain also hosts ATP Challenger Tour events in Segovia and Sevilla, two of the longest-running tournaments on the circuit. And next week the expansion continues, as the country welcomes another new event in Alicante.

On Saturday, seventh seed Stefano Travaglia of Italy will face Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi for the title in Marbella. Travaglia is appearing in his second Challenger final, having won his maiden crown in Ostrava last year. Andreozzi will contest his 10th title match and second of the 2018 season. He prevailed on the clay of Punta del Este, Uruguay earlier this month.

It was a tremendous stretch for Juan Martin del Potro — the Argentine won his first ATP World Tour 500-level title since 2013 Basel in Acapulco before claiming his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy at Indian Wells. Four more victories in Miami brought his winning streak to 15 matches and a personal-best start to the season of 21-3, leading the ATP World Tour in wins. With two more triumphs, the ‘Tower of Tandil’ could have become the eighth player to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ by lifting the trophy in both Indian Wells and Miami.

So while Del Potro was disappointed that he lost in straight sets against American John Isner in Friday’s semi-finals at the Miami Open presented by Itau, he kept the defeat in perspective.

“I played well. I did a good tournament, and I go home with many things to celebrate,” Del Potro said. “John deserved to win today. He serves unbelievable. He plays great tennis on the tie-break. He was too good for me.”

It’s widely known that Del Potro has the ability to hit almost any player off the court, as he is armed with what is commonly considered one of the best shots in the sport: a hammer-like forehand. But on Friday, the 32-year-old Isner took the racquet out of the World No. 6’s hands with outlandish serving and free-swinging play from the baseline, intertwined with effective trips to the net with sweetly placed drop volleys.

Del Potro was unable to earn a break point against Isner, or even get to deuce. The American won 80 per cent of points on serve, claiming an astonishing 75 per cent of second-serve points against arguably the most in-form player in the world.

“He has a better serve than me, and then when he plays as good as today, he’s one of the tougher guys on Tour,” Del Potro. “Not many players can return his serves. He plays every time making winners. When he has a good day, he has everything to win a title like this. I think he was better for today.”

To be fair, Del Potro has played a lot of tennis in the past month — 16 matches and 38 sets, to be exact. But that was not going to stop him from pushing on to try to win his first trophy in Miami. His semi-final result was not for lack of effort.

“When I get onto the court I love to play tennis. I got too much love from the fans, and maybe that pain goes away during the match,” Del Potro said of the wear-and-tear on his body from all of his recent play. “But today John played better. I don’t have any skills for that. He was better than me, and he deserved to win.”

It’s easy to wonder what could have been — Del Potro would have risen to a career-high of No. 3 in the ATP Rankings if he would have won the title at Crandon Park. But keep in mind that three years ago after losing in the Miami first round, the Argentine left ranked No. 555. Two years ago, it was No. 338. And last year? World No. 35. He will stay at World No. 6 on Monday.

Numerous wrist surgeries kept Del Potro away from his best — or anywhere near it — for years. But the Argentine has announced loudly and clearly that he is once again a tremendous force to be reckoned with on the ATP World Tour.

“I will have a good vacation, maybe a week or more days. Depends how I feel,” Del Potro said. “But I would love to go home, to stay in Tandil eating barbecues, spend time with my family and friends and not talk about tennis for a couple of weeks.”

Del Potro doesn’t have to — his tennis has done that for him.

John Isner might be playing the tennis of his life. The 32-year-old American stunned Juan Martin del Potro on Friday, upsetting the Argentine 6-1, 7-6(2) in their semi-final at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The American did little wrong against Del Potro, who was on a 15-match win streak and leads the ATP World Tour with 21 wins this season. Isner’s serve, as usual, was dominant, but his groundstrokes and volleys carried him to victory. He swung freely and played aggressively, finishing with 39 winners to only 10 from Del Potro.

“Things are just clicking. Look, if I’m returning well and getting in return games, that should bode well for me, given how I serve. Very happy it’s all sort of coming together right now,” Isner said. “I just know with my game, if I’m doing the right things, it doesn’t really matter who I’m playing. I’m going to be very tough to beat.”

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Isner moved into his fourth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final (0-3; 2016 Paris, 2013 Cincinnati, 2012 Indian Wells). He will face either Alexander Zverev of Germany or Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta for the opportunity to call himself a “Masters 1000 titlist”.

The last time Del Potro lost was more than a month ago, on 22 February against #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe at the Delray Beach Open. Since then, the Argentine had captured back-to-back titles in Acapulco and Indian Wells. Del Potro had to save three match points against No. 1 Roger Federer in the BNP Paribas Open final to win his maiden Masters 1000 crown.

The Argentine’s rise was in stark contrast to Isner’s start to the year. The American was 2-6 and hadn’t won consecutive matches all season before Miami. “It’s been a very streaky year so far, but I’m very happy to be on the good side of that streak right now,” Isner said.

He had a clear game plan and executed it perfectly against Del Potro during their 10th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. Isner teed off on any short ball or serve lacking, and he opened the court up well – targeting Del Potro’s backhand before hitting to his forehand corner, or vice versa.

Isner broke in the third game, pounding Del Potro’s backhand before hitting a forehand volley winner at net. After only 27 minutes, he had a one-set lead, thanks to 19 winners, compared to zero from his opponent.

“There was a game plan. I stuck to it pretty well. I think more importantly than that, it was just a case of me playing some good tennis out there and being relaxed, which was crucial,” Isner said. 

Del Potro, behind a boisterous Argentine crowd on Key Biscayne, recovered in the second set. But Isner was too strong, too aggressive, too confident. He never faced a break point all match, and in the tie-break, his volleys, including a backhand dropper on match point, pushed him into Sunday’s final.

“John deserved to win today. He served unbelievable. He played great tennis on the tie-break. He was too good for me,” Del Potro said.

Isner said he’s playing some of his best tennis in years because of two reasons: his doubles title earlier this month at the BNP Paribas Open, and nightly conversations with one of his coaches David Macpherson.

“[Doubles] kept me in match mode, and I was getting real live reps on return. Playing in a pressure situation, even though it’s doubles, I think that helped a lot. When I have done well in doubles in the past, it’s always carried over to my singles game,” Isner said.

“With my coach, David Macpherson and I… we have been having dinner every night and talking some things over. So it’s not a situation this week where I was just putting in the hard work. Of course I was working hard, but I have been more relaxed on the court, and I think that’s showing in my play.” 

DID YOU KNOW?
Isner leads all players in reaching four Masters 1000 semi-finals during the past 12 months (2017 Rome, Cincinnati, Paris; 2018 Miami).