TENNIS • ATP • ALEXANDER ZVEREV BEATS KEVIN ANDERSON IN WASHINGTON, JOINS QUERREY AND KOHLSCHREIBER IN WINNERS’ CIRCLE

By Ricky Dimon
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Updated: August 6, 2017

Photo by @atpworldtour via Instagram.

Philipp #Kohlschreiber wins his 8th #ATP with a 6-3 6-4 win over Joao #Sousa at @generaliopen! #tennis – Photo by @atpworldtour via Instagram.

Alexander Zverev of Germany poses with atrophy after defeating Kevin Anderson of South Africa after their men’s singles final match of the 2017 Citi Open Tennis Tournament at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 06 August 2017. Zverev won the match 6-4, 6-4. EPA/PETE MAROVICH

Alexander Zverev captured his fourth ATP title of the year when he defeated Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Citi Open on Sunday. Zverev lost only nine points in 10 service games and did not face a single break point while triumphing in one hour and nine minutes.

The 20-year-old, who won the Rome Masters a few months ago, remains No. 8 in the rankings and is up to fourth in the race to the World Tour Finals.

“I think I improved a lot in the last few months and in this off-season so I can be able to win these kinds of tournaments,” Zverev noted. “I showed in Rome and I’m showing it here again. I just hope I can continue playing well like this or even make it better in the summer. We’ll see what the next few big tournaments hold for me.”

Fellow German Philipp Kohlschreiber makes his residence in Kitzbuhel, Austria and he secured his second career title there by defeating Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday. Kohlschreiber needed one hour and 22 minutes to win his eighth ATP title.

“It was an amazing week for me,” Kohlschreiber commented. “I never expected to win this title when the tournament started. I really enjoy playing here, it is such a nice event. Everyone is doing a great job and the crowd loves to come here.”

Photo by @ATPWorldTour via Twitter.

If Kitzbuhel is actual home for Kohlschreiber, Mexico might as well be home for Sam Querrey. Already a champion this season in Acapulco, Querrey got the job done in Los Cabos on Saturday by beating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 after one hour and 46 minutes. He cracked 15 aces and benefited from nine Kokkinakis double-faults.

With Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka out for the season, Querrey is unofficially ninth in the WTFs race.

“It’s really exciting to win here,” Querrey said. “I felt like I played really well. This tournament only keeps getting better, so I’m already excited to come back next year. I think the last couple of months have been the best I’ve played and if I can keep this going the rest of the year, it’ll be my best year on tour yet.”

“I’m obviously disappointed at the moment,” Kokkinakis admitted. “I definitely thought I could have done better, but I have to look at the positives in that this is my best week on tour. Hopefully this is just a small step. The good news is that I have a lot of things to work on and I’m still having tight matches with some of the best players in the world.”

Speaking of the best players in the world, the tour now moves to the Rogers Cup in Montreal for the first of two consecutive Masters 1000 events. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are the top two seeds.