Alexander Zverev reached the Paris Masters final for the first time by beating Rafael Nadal 6-4, 7-5 and denying Nadal the chance to win a tournament he continues to miss.
Amid an explosive report from his ex-girlfriend alleging abuse from Zverev, the German also responded to how he handled the out-of-court allegations that rocked the tennis world.
He told reporters as cited by Sports Central: "I do realise now that there is gonna be always people that will not want the best for you, and there is always going to be people that try to put you down when you're on top. "It's up to me if I'm going to let that happen. "I feel like I'm doing quite a good job of not letting that happen, and I'm still enjoying myself. As long as you still have a smile at the end of the day, I think that's the most important in life.
The fourth-seeded Zverev faces No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final, and leads him 5-1 in career meetings. Zverev goes for his fourth Masters title and 14th overall, while 2019 US Open runner-up Medvedev is seeking his third Masters crown, eighth career title and first of this year.
Zverev said: "We're not going to give each other anything tomorrow and we'll see who can win. I'm looking forward to it. "I think we are both extremely hungry, it will be our first title here.
All of the semifinalists stood to win this tournament for the first time, but it won't be Nadal.
Although he has won 86 titles in his glittering career, including a record-equaling 20 Grand Slams and 35 Masters events, he lost his only final here in 2007 to David Nalbandian.
Serving for the match at an empty Bercy Arena because of the coronavirus pandemic, the imposing Zverev opened with his 13th ace.
He double-faulted on his first match point at 40-0. But on the next one, Nadal's forehand down the line went wide to give the 23-year-old German only his second win in seven matches against the Spanish veteran.
Zverev said: "I have just beaten Rafa, so that is never easy to do. "I think the whole world will agree with me on that.
Nadal was broken to love in the third game and dropped the opening set for the third time in his four matches. Zverev won 78 percent of points on first serve compared to 60 percent for Nadal and led 9-1 in aces in that set. He clinched it with a sliced shot at the net which Nadal could not reach.
Nadal said: "He's in the final serving huge. I think I returned better than the other days, but was impossible at the beginning. He was serving bombs and hitting the right spots all the time. "So I decided to go eight meters behind the baseline later on in the match and I think worked better for me.
Zverev broke Nadal again in the third game of the second set.
A frustrated Nadal punched his racket head when he failed to convert two break points in the sixth game, but held his nerve to save four break points in the next game and then finally broke Zverev to make it 4-4.
But an erratic and agitated Nadal was conceding too many chances on his serve and, after Zverev broke him for a third time, he sat shaking his head during the changeover.
Earlier, Medvedev reached the Paris Masters final for the first time after beating Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (4) in a contest between big servers. He secured the win with a smash at the net.
The 10th-seeded Raonic has never won a Masters event and missed out on a second final here, having lost to Novak Djokovic in 2014. The Canadian had 12 aces compared to seven for Medvedev and both players won around 80 percent of their points on first serves.
Medvedev said: "I don't think it was the best tennis I have played this year, but it was definitely one of the best matches. "I was playing good in the beginning of the year, and then there was a stop (because of the pandemic).
Raonic missed a chance in the second set when Medvedev saved three break points at 0-40 down in the eighth game, but Raonic finally broke him on his fourth break point in the 12th game to make it 6-6.
Raonic said: "I think in some key moments he found a way to be a bit more the aggressor. He was dictating a bit more, I was trying to change the pace up. "He was a lot more efficient at creating his opportunities.
Medvedev raced into a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker and sealed victory on his first match point.
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