Zverev and Shelton Set for Dramatic ATP Munich Final

MUNICH, Germany — Top-seeded Alexander Zverev will face American Ben Shelton in the final of the BMW Open by Bitpanda on Sunday after both players secured hard-fought semifinal victories on Saturday. Zverev is aiming for a record-equaling third title at this prestigious tournament.

Zverev, the world No. 3, overcame Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan with a score of 7-6(3), 6-3 in a match that lasted just over an hour and a half. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Shelton battled back from a set down to defeat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, marking a significant career milestone as he became the first American man to reach a clay final above ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi in 2002.

In his semifinal, Zverev exhibited his championship mettle, converting on 79% of his first serves and committing only 13 unforced errors. “I thought I played quite a good match today. I lost focus once in the first set on my serve, but apart from that it was a good match,” Zverev said after the win.

Shelton’s victory was particularly dramatic. After losing the first set, he faced multiple match points against him in a tense second-set tiebreak. The American saved those points and converted his fourth opportunity in the tiebreak to even the match. In the deciding set, Shelton capitalized on a critical error from Cerundolo to secure his place in the final. “It’s a big win for me. To get a win on clay against a guy like that gives me a lot of confidence,” said Shelton.

With this win, Shelton improved his clay-court record to 14-12 and is ranked No. 13 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, just one spot off his career high. “I’m really happy. I’ve been playing well here; I love the energy in Munich and I’m going for the title tomorrow,” he added.

As both players prepare for the final match, fans are excited about the prospect of a thrilling showdown. Zverev boasts a 7-2 record against Shelton but acknowledged the challenge his opponent poses. “It’s going to be a tough match,” Zverev stated. “He’s a young, energetic player and he’s been playing great this week.”

With the tournament’s elevation to an ATP 500 event this year, both players are eager to claim the highly coveted title in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Zverev previously won consecutive titles here in 2017 and 2018 and hopes to add another trophy to his collection.