Hurkacz moves past Zverev to reach Halle final

Former champion Hubert Hurkacz moved to within one win of clinching his second title at the Terra Wortmann Open on Saturday when he overcame World No. 4 Alexander Zverev 7-6(2), 6-4.

The fifth-seeded Pole produced an impressive serving display in his semi-final clash against Zverev, firing 17 aces and saving all four break points he faced to earn his fifth Top 10 grass-court win.

"It needed to be really good," Hurkacz said. "He is such a good competitor and is playing good tennis, reaching the final at the French [Roland Garros] and playing at a really high level.

"I am really confident on my serve. I am serving really good. There were some moments but I managed to believe in my game and hit some good serves and good shots, so I stayed pretty calm."

With his one-hour, 33-minute triumph in Halle, Hurkacz improved to 1-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Zverev. Into his 11th tour-level final, the 27-year-old will aim to clinch his ninth ATP Tour title when he faces top seed Jannik Sinner or China’s Zhang Zhizhen on Sunday.

Hurkacz has often produced his best level on grass, winning the title at the ATP 500 event in 2022. The 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist is up two spots to No. 7 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will move to a career high on Monday.

"I really love grass," Hurkacz said. "The surface suites my game and the atmosphere here, having the full crowd is incredible. It brings so much joy to the players."

Germany’s Zverev advanced to the title match on home soil in Halle in 2016 and 2017 but was unable to find a way past Hurkacz, who won 81 per cent (43/56) of his first-serve points according to ATP Infosys Stats. The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion leaves the event holding a 37-11 record on the season.

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