Zverev conquers kryptonite in Paris escape
Alexander Zverev turned the tables on his enduring rival Daniil Medvedev, saving two match points in a gripping three-setter to extend his Paris Masters title defense and set up a rematch with Jannik Sinner.
Under the lights of the Paris Masters, Alexander Zverev confronted a foe who had bested him five times running, each defeat etching deeper into his game. The German started cautiously, his serves met by Medvedev’s deep returns that crowded the baseline and stifled early aggression. As the first set fell 2-6, Zverev sensed the need for change, briefly clutching his left hamstring before refocusing on raw power to claw back into the fray.
Baseline firepower shifts the momentum
Zverev’s initial forays to the net, laced with drop shots, crumbled against Medvedev’s retrieval, prompting a tactical overhaul midway through. He leaned into crosscourt forehands, exploiting the indoor hardcourt’s pace to stretch rallies and expose his opponent’s backhand. This adjustment paid off in the second set, where a break at 1-0—fueled by Medvedev’s double fault—propelled Zverev to a 6-3 win, the crowd’s rising cheers echoing the turning tide.
In his on-court interview, Zverev reflected on the pivot.
“The thing I’m most pleased with is the match points saved, the way I continued being brave and in the important moments, winning the match myself,” he said.
The shift not only evened the sets but injected psychological momentum, as Zverev’s sharper ball-striking began to unravel Medvedev’s defensive web.
Match points test resolve in the decider
The third set tightened into a pressure cooker, with Zverev serving at 4-5 to avoid elimination, the stakes amplified by his title defense and the season’s closing push. He saved the first match point with a precise slice backhand, then on the second, endured a 27-shot rally ending in a net cord winner that drew gasps from the stands. A subsequent overhead tested his nerves—he netted one at 5-3 in the tie-break—but composure held, securing the 7-6(5) edge after two hours and thirty minutes.
Pure power @AlexZverev battles back from a set down v. Medvedev to set up a semi-final against Sinner @PMasters | #ParisMasters pic.twitter.com/b2yptYboPv
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 31, 2025
Collapsing in relief on the court, Zverev had snapped his skid, improving his head-to-head with Medvedev to 8-14. The Russian’s 23 backhand errors contrasted Zverev’s nine, though Medvedev edged forehand winners at 19 to the German’s 14, underscoring the fine margins in their baseline duel.
Sinner rematch reignites Vienna fire
This victory dashes Daniil Medvedev‘s hopes for the Nitto ATP Finals while bolstering Zverev’s own qualification path. Laughing off the rivalry’s weight, Zverev called his opponent a kind of kryptonite, a nod to years of frustration now eased by this hard-fought escape. Next comes a semi-final against second seed Jannik Sinner, rematching last week’s Vienna final won by the Italian, where indoor hardcourts could again test Zverev’s adjusted firepower against precision serving.
The Paris crowd buzzed with anticipation as Zverev eyed the clash, his mental fortitude—proven in those clutch saves—poised to fuel a deeper run. With @AlexZverev‘s power on display via @PMasters and #ParisMasters highlights from October 31, 2025, the German’s late-season surge hints at unfinished business under these familiar lights.
