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The 20-year-old German, who arrived in Montreal
fresh from his triumph in Washington, proved up for the task
right out of the gate as he had the Swiss second seed on his
heels from the start on a sunny afternoon.
Zverev was poised and aggressive off the ground to create space
for his power game and displayed some short-angled winners off
thumping forehands and backhands to grab an early break for a
3-1 lead. He consolidated for a 4-1 cushion and ultimately
closed out the opening set after a mere 30 minutes.
Federer, who entered the match 5-0 in finals this year, started
to find his groove early in the second set but suddenly appeared
out of sorts while Zverev broke in the seventh game to pull
ahead 4-3 and held on for a surprise win that took 68 minutes.
The victory over the 19-times grand slam champion was the second
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title of the season for Zverev, who
also beat Novak Djokovic in Rome.
"This one against Roger is something so special for me because
he was always a great idol growing up for me," Zverev said
during his trophy presentation. "The greatest player of all
time, beating him in a final, not just any final but in the
final of a Masters 1000, is amazing."
The win improved Zverev to 5-1 in finals this year with the only
defeat coming at the hands of Federer at Halle.
Federer spent six months on the sidelines in the second half of
last season but has returned to his very best this year by
winning five titles, including a pair of grand slams at the
Australian Open and Wimbledon.
He seemed ready to shift momentum early in the second set when
he earned a trio of break points but Zverev saved them all in
dominant fashion to hold for 1-1.
Zverev then grabbed the decisive break in the seventh game to
pull ahead 4-3 before cruising to the finish line.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Clare Fallon)
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