Jannik Sinner dismantled Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 in eighty-five minutes, then Alexander Zverev dispatched Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5 to set up a blockbuster Madrid Open final on Sunday.
Sinner did not face a single break point against Fils. The world number one won 87% of points behind his first serve and kept his unforced errors to a bare minimum. A spectacular 24-shot rally sealed the decisive break in the second set, ending any hopes Fils might have harbored.
The Italian became the fourth man in history to reach the final at all nine Masters 1000 events, joining Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. At twenty-four, he is the youngest to achieve the feat. His winning streak at this level now stands at twenty-seven matches.
Zverev handled his semifinal with trademark efficiency. The German landed 86% behind his first serve, struck 33 winners against only 15 unforced errors, and was never broken. Blockx showed heart in the second set, saving eleven break points overall, but the gap in quality was clear throughout.
This will be Zverev's fourth Madrid final, matching the record set by Federer and Nadal. His thirtieth win in the Spanish capital underlines his deep affinity with the tournament.
Sinner leads the head-to-head 9-4 and has won eight consecutive meetings against Zverev. The German will need something extraordinary on Sunday to reverse that trend.
