‘I’m going to do everything I can to prepare for final’ Zverev

Alexander Zverev returns to Karen Khachanov. Pic/AFP

[popcorn number="Three" desc="Consecutive number of Grand Slam finals Alexander Zverev has reached" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="12" desc="Consecutive number of sets Zverev has won since his first two matches went to five sets" class="Default"]

Six years after an agonising loss in the US Open final, Alexander Zverev says "everything is different" as he returns to the title match in Flushing Meadows.

The top-seeded German held off a battling Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (8/6) on Friday to reach his third straight Grand Slam final.

It was a solid performance from Zverev, who laboured through two five-set victories to open the tournament, but hasn't dropped a set since. "I think the improvement has been quite dramatic for me," he said.

"It's a great thing, because I really started off the tournament, and I was, like, ‘well, this is pointless because I'm not going to do anything here,' and here I am sitting and preparing for a Sunday final.

"Things like that can happen in sports and tennis. Things can change very quickly for the positive or negative. For me, luckily, it was for the positive. Now I'm going to do everything I can to prepare for Sunday," he added.

Zverev admitted his US Open near miss against Dominic Thiem in 2020 left scar tissue, but all the doubts have finally been dispelled with his maiden major at the French Open.

"I think a lot has happened. I've played in a lot of other finals. I've played a lot of big matches since then. Back then, of course, it was my first Grand Slam final. I was inexperienced... just different. Everything is different," he said.

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