ROME (AP) — For about an hour, Alexander Zverev had no answer to the rocket-like forehands and perfectly placed drop shots that Alejandro Tabilo kept producing.
The fifth-ranked Zverev kept patient, though, and took his chance when it came as he rallied for a 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory Friday over his unheralded Chilean opponent and a spot in the Italian Open final.
“I was just hanging on the second set. I brought my energy up,” Zverev said. “He hit me off the court in the first set and I didn’t play well at all, but he was a big reason why. He gave me no rhythm.”
Zverev, the 2017 Rome champion, had the pinky on his left hand bandaged following a fall to the clay in his previous match, after which he said his finger was “crooked.” The German plays right-handed but uses a two-handed backhand.
He said his pinky was swollen and that he was using pain killers.
“I tore a capsule. … But I didn’t break any bones,” Zverev said. “The finger is still very, very big. It was manageable.”
In Sunday’s final, Zverev will face either Tommy Paul or Nicolas Jarry, who were playing later.
It’s Zverev’s third final in Rome. He won in 2017 by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets for his first Masters Series title. He lost to Rafael Nadal in the title match a year later.
“I’ve been here before,” Zverev said. “I know what it takes and hopefully I can use that.”
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek will play No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final on Saturday.
Rome is the last big wamup tournament before the French Open starts on May 26.
Zverev, who has disputed a penalty order from a German court over allegations that he caused bodily harm to a woman, faces a trial starting during Roland Garros. He said recently that he won’t attend the start of the trial.
The 32nd-ranked Tabilo eliminated top-ranked Djokovic in the third round on Sunday and hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament until a series of errors helped Zverev win the second-set tiebreaker. Zverev then took control early in the third.
Tabilo, who is a lefty, saved a break point midway through the first set with a slicing serve out wide to the ad court then produced three drop shots to serve out the set.
Zverev and Tabilo were born in the same year and played often as juniors, when Tabilo represented Canada, where he was born.
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