Germany’s Alexander Zverev produced a clinical display to crush Dominic Thiem 6-4 6-4 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday.
The second seed broke a nervy-looking Thiem in the opening game thanks to a double-fault and was never really challenged as he claimed his third Masters 1000 title.
Zverev, 21, broke again right at the start of the second but squandered the chance of a double-break two games later as Thiem, conqueror of Rafael Nadal in the last eight, hung on.
There was no chance of a let-up from Zverev though and he remained focussed throughout, winning on his first match point when his Austrian opponent returned long.
Zverev did not face a single break point as he became only the fifth active player to win at least three Masters 1000 titles—joining the ‘big four’ of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.