Germany’s Alexander Zverev produced a clinical display to crush Dominic Thiem 6-4 6-4 in the Madrid Open final.
The second-seeded world No. 3 broke a nervy-looking Thiem in the opening game thanks to a double-fault and was never really challenged as he claimed his third Masters 1000 title.
Zverev, 21, broke again right at the start of the second but squandered the chance of a double-break two games later as Thiem, conqueror of Rafael Nadal in the last eight, hung on.
There was no chance of a let-up from Zverev though and he remained focussed throughout, winning on his first match point when his Austrian opponent returned long.
Zverev did not face a single break point as he became only the fifth active player to win at least three Masters 1000 titles — joining the ‘big four’ of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.