Italian Open: Zverev Admits Rain Delay Took Away Victory Chance, Nadal Agrees

Alexander Zverev was close to winning his second Masters Series title but could not get over the line against Rafael Nadal in the final of the Italian Open on Sunday.

The German, who won the Madrid Open earlier in the month, was leading the Spaniard 3-2 in the third set with the serve before the rain came and play was temporarily suspended.

The world number three, who was looking for his fourth title of the season, lost the momentum and failed to win a game once play resumed. Zverev succumbed 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 as the Spaniard went on to win his third title of the season and displace Roger Federer at the top of the ATP men’s singles ranking.

Nadal looked on course for a comfortable win after he took the first set 6-1, but Zverev, who is one of the in-form players on the tour at the moment, was not going down without a fight. He hit back immediately to take the second set with the same score line.

The German looked on course for an upset victory over the King of Clay, but rain played spoilsport. Zverev admitted the rain did play a part in his loss against Nadal, but added fatigue also had a role.

"But, it happens," Zverev said about the rain after the game, as quoted on Tennis World USA. “There's nothing I can do about it. Next time, I have to find a way to come out better after the rain and play better tennis. He came out way faster and played much more aggressive than I did. ... And the fatigue I had over the last few weeks, because of the break, it took me very long time to get activated again and to get going. Obviously, it wasn't enough time.”

Zverev was delighted with his run at the Italian Open despite coming up short in the final. He beat the likes of Marin Cilic and David Goffin to get to the summit clash, and believes he can carry the momentum forward to the second Grand Slam of the year that gets underway at Roland Garros on May 21.

“I think this week is the most satisfying,” he said. “Because even when I was tired, I still found a way against great players. And this is not easy to do. This is one of the biggest tournaments that we have in the world. So, you know, finding a way to get to the finals after, you know, two tournaments that I won is something amazing for me, I think.”

“I was not far away from beating Rafa on a clay court in a Masters final. So I guess I can take that into Paris,” Zverev added.

Nadal, who will now be the overwhelming favorite to win the French Open, acknowledged the rain delay did help him overcome the German. The Spaniard revealed the delay helped him re-evaluate his tactics, which aided him in turning the third set around in his favor.

However, the events in Madrid and Rome have shown Nadal is not unbeatable on clay with Zverev and Dominic Thiem emerging as the Spaniard’s main threat for the title in Paris.