alex zverev

PARIS — Alexander Zverev reached the Paris Masters final for the second time after beating former champion Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Saturday.

The 2020 runner-up next plays 15th-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who downed 2018 champion Karen Khachanov 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3 to reach his first Masters final at the age of 26.

Victory on Sunday would give Zverev a seventh Masters title and also move him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for most wins on the ATP tour this year. They are tied on 65.

Despite a heavy schedule — this was his 85th match this year — Zverev went to practice afterward. It is a routine he is imposing on himself to close the gap on four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, who has won two majors.

“It’s about improving a few things. I feel like Jannik and Carlos are doing a few things better than me at the moment,” Zverev said. “I feel like they are so aggressive. I think tennis is going towards that direction (and) I want to generally improve for next year as well.”

Although Zverev will overtake Alcaraz to move into second place in the ATP rankings next week, he feels he still needs more to become a major winner like them.

“For me Jannik has the best year this season and then Carlos had the second-best year. He won two Grand Slams,” said Zverev, the French Open runner-up. “I’m ahead of him in the rankings (soon) but he won Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Those are two massive titles. So they are still the two best players in the world, in my opinion.”

Rune saved one match point with a brilliant cross-court forehand winner, but the third-seeded Zverev held his nerve on the next with a crisp backhand volley at the net.

“I feel like I made it a little difficult for myself but he is a champion. It is probably his favourite tournament and favourite court,” the 27-year-old Zverev said. “I am happy to be in my second final here, I am looking forward to it.”

Zverev was mostly in control against Rune in their fourth career meeting and first on indoor hard courts. He improved to 3-1 overall against his rival, who won the Paris Masters in 2022 by stunning Novak Djokovic in the final.

Rune saved a break point in his opening service game as he struggled from the back of the court.

Zverev broke him in the fourth game when Rune’s two-handed backhand went out, and he held serve for a 4-1 lead in a commanding first set, clinching it when his opponent returned long.

He broke the 13th-seeded Danish player to serve for the match for the first time at 5-4, but Rune broke straight back.

A long 11th game saw both players miss chances and it went to a sixth deuce before Rune finally won it with a backhand volley at the net.

That was the end of his resistance and Zverev was untroubled in his next service game and in the tiebreaker.

The big-serving German is bidding for his second title of the year and 23rd overall.

Humbert is in line for his third title of 2024 and the seventh of his career.

His confidence was high after knocking out Alcaraz in the third round. But Humbert blew a 5-2 lead in the first-set tiebreaker with a double-fault and two unforced errors.

In a tough match lasting two hours 46 minutes, Humbert received a time violation from umpire Richard Haigh when serving for the second set, drawing jeers from the home crowd.

The 28-year-old Khachanov called for a trainer in the sixth game of the deciding set and had some massage on his right thigh.

The big-hitting Russian appeared hampered after that.