Unlike Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal has never won the Paris Masters crown, struggling in indoor conditions despite consistent results. Nadal was the semi-finalist in Paris three years ago, advancing into the last four for the fifth time and falling to Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-5.
Rafa was unhappy with how he returned, scoring only one break and allowing Alexander to fire many service winners and keep the points on his racquet. The Spaniard also tried to stand way back while returning the rival’s bombs, but it did not work for him.
The German claimed back-to-back titles in Cologne before Paris and shifted that form to the French capital.Zverev fired a service winner in 30% of the points against Nadal, getting broken once and keeping the pressure on the other side.
Rafa lost serve three times and ended his campaign without reaching the final. The German fired 37 winners and 18 unforced errors. He delivered 20 direct points more than the Spaniard and stayed focused in the second set’s closing stages to seal the deal in straight sets.
