Alexander Zverev: The 23-year-old German is a star in the making

German tennis star Alexander Zverev broke through as a
highly talented teenager but it took 18 Grand Slam draw appearances before he
could feature in a Grand Slam semi-final – this year’s Australian Open. And
after a few months, he is just one step away from what can be his first Grand
Slam victory. Zverev, touted to be one of heirs to the ‘Big Three’ – Roger
Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, will be against Austrian Dominic
Thiem, who appears in the form of his life. A worthy foe indeed.

It’s safe to say that the US Open men’s finale has served up
a cracker of a match. Those who’ll watch it will witness history and a star in
making, and those who’ll miss the tie, well, they will not be privy to one of
the great encounters that the game of tennis will have ever produced.

Zverev completed a stunning comeback in the US Open semi-finals, fighting
past Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first
Grand Slam final.

To put things in perspective, this was the first five-set US
Open semis since Djokovic beat Stanislas Wawrinka back in 2013. If Thiem is in
the form of his life, Zverev is not far behind, rather he is ahead as this was
also the first time since 2011 and sixth time in the Open Era that a player
rallied from two sets down in the semis.

That time, Djokovic had saved two match points against Federer
to reach the final. Eventually conquering the Flushing Meadows. A Djokovic
repeat can happen, only this time, Zverev will be in the hot seat.

Already an owner of three ATP Masters 1000 champion, Zverev
also won the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals and is also an 11-time ATP Tour champion.

The 23-year-old became the youngest player to reach the US
Open final since Novak Djokovic a decade ago. If Zverev manages to lift the
coveted trophy, he will become the youngest major winner since Juan Martin de
Potro, aged 20, in 2009.

Zverev is also chasing to become the first German Grand Slam
winner since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open.

As Thiem leads Zverev 7-2 in their ATP head-to-head series, Zverev, in one
of the biggest night of the career, will try to diminish the gap and create multiple records.