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Jordan Thompson on cusp of tennis history after 'miracle' win over Alexander Zverev

Thompson sent the World No.6 packing to book his spot in the final of the Los Cabos Open.

andrew reid
·4-min read
Pictured right to left, Jordan Thompson and Alexander Zverev.
Jordan Thompson defeated Alexander Zverev to reach the final of the Los Cabos Open. Pic: Getty

Australia's Jordan Thompson has taken a massive step towards the first title of his tennis career after ousting World No.6 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals of the ATP's Los Cabos Open. The eighth-seeded Aussie will face Norway's Casper Ruud in Sunday's final after overcoming Zverev in an epic three-set battle that lasted a staggering three hours and 42 minutes.

The epic 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-2) triumph was Thompson's fourth win over a Top-10 player and his second against Zverev, whom he also downed in Tokyo last October. Thompson's run to the final also included a stunning fightback from 6-0 3-0 down in the quarter-final against American teenager Alex Michelsen.

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Thompson's superb run has seen the 29-year-old rise up to a career-high ranking of World No.36 in the live standings and victory in the final would see him pocket a cool $AUD1.3 million. Things didn't go all the Aussie's way in the first set against Zverev, with Thomson dropping his serve twice in the opening set, then breaking three times himself to take a dramatic first stanza in 76 minutes.

Zverev got the only break of the second set in the fifth game to push it to a deciding set in which neither player was willing to give an inch on their serve. A deciding tiebreak ensued in a fitting end to an absorbing contest but it was Thompson who reigned supreme after racing out to a 6-1 lead, before clinching it 7-2.

"I think it's just a miracle," Thompson said about his stunning run to the final in Mexico. "I never thought I'd be here. It was over three and a half hours. It was just a great match and I just competed until the end I really don't know what to say. I'm pretty tired."

Jordan Thompson to face Casper Ruud in final

The win saw Thompson book a spot in his third Tour-level final, where he will face fourth seed Ruud. The Norwegian downed Greek World No.10 Stefanos Tstisipas in the other semi-final after two tense sets. Ruud fought off five set points in the second stanza to advance to his 19th Tour-level final courtesy of the 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win.

Seen here, Casper Ruud celebrates during his semi-final victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Casper Ruud celebrates during his semi-final victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Pic: Getty

Tsitsipas was bidding to successfully defend a title for the third time after back-to-back successes in Marseille (2019-20) and Monte Carlo (2022-23) but it was ultimately a sixth straight defeat for the Greek against a top-20 opponent. Ruud admitted he rode his luck against Tstisipas at times but was pleased with his performance nevertheless.

"It was a really close match, all in all, especially the second set," Ruud said. "I was fortunate to save a few set points there and hold him off. I was just a bit lucky, and in the tiebreak I played really well from the beginning, so I'm very happy with the win."

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