Germany&#39;s Alexander Zverev stunned four-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win his first Masters title on Sunday, confirming his status as a French Open dangerman.

The 20-year-old Zverev claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title after becoming the youngest player in a decade to reach a final at this level and will move to 10 in the world as a result of his impressive victory.

Djokovic, who turns 30 on Monday, was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007.

But despite a clinical straight-set win over Austrian Dominic Thiem on Saturday, world number two Djokovic produced a flawed performance on centre court that saw him curse and swear as he struggled to find a way back into the match.

Overall, Djokovic had 27 unforced errors to 14 for Zverev, who also had 16 winners to the Serb&#39;s 11.

Zverev now has four career titles, three of which have come this year while Djokovic was denied what would have been a record 31st Masters title.

&quot;Playing against Novak, one of the best players to ever play -- it was an honour being on the court with you,&quot; said Zverev, the first player born in the 1990s to win a Masters title.

&quot;You&#39;re an amazing player. Unfortunately this week you didn&#39;t win, but I&#39;m sure as we get closer to Paris you&#39;ll be one of the favourites for the title.&quot;

Zverev broke in the first game of the final on his way to the first set and carved out the crucial first break of the second set in the third game.

Djokovic&#39;s frustrations boiled over when he was handed a warning for an audible obscenity in the eighth&nbsp;game before he was broken again in the ninth as Zverev celebrated his first Masters title.

&quot;I wish you go on to win many of these titles,&quot; Djokovic told the young German.

&quot;Yesterday I played what I thought was one of the best matches of my life on clay. Today I played something else. But that&#39;s sport.&quot;

Despite the defeat, Djokovic will start the French Open, which gets underway next Sunday, as one of the leading favourites having completed the career Grand Slam in Paris in 2016.

Djokovic names Agassi as new coach

Novak Djokovic confirmed American great Andre Agassi as his new coach Sunday, but said they did not yet have a &quot;long-term commitment&quot;.

&quot;I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he&#39;s gonna be there. We&#39;ll see what future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us,&quot; said Djokovic.

&quot;We don&#39;t have any long-term commitment. It&#39;s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit.&quot;

(AFP)

The young German beat the former world number one in straight sets

Germany's Alexander Zverev stunned four-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win his first Masters title on Sunday, confirming his status as a French Open dangerman. The 20-year-old Zverev claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title after becoming the youngest player in a decade to reach a final at this level and will move to 10 in the world as a result of his impressive victory. Djokovic, who turns 30 on Monday, was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007. But despite a clinical straight-set win over Austrian Dominic Thiem on Saturday, world number two Djokovic produced a flawed performance on centre court that saw him curse and swear as he struggled to find a way back into the match. Overall, Djokovic had 27 unforced errors to 14 for Zverev, who also had 16 winners to the Serb's 11. Zverev now has four career titles, three of which have come this year while Djokovic was denied what would have been a record 31st Masters title. "Playing against Novak, one of the best players to ever play -- it was an honour being on the court with you," said Zverev, the first player born in the 1990s to win a Masters title. "You're an amazing player. Unfortunately this week you didn't win, but I'm sure as we get closer to Paris you'll be one of the favourites for the title." Zverev broke in the first game of the final on his way to the first set and carved out the crucial first break of the second set in the third game. Djokovic's frustrations boiled over when he was handed a warning for an audible obscenity in the eighth game before he was broken again in the ninth as Zverev celebrated his first Masters title. "I wish you go on to win many of these titles," Djokovic told the young German. "Yesterday I played what I thought was one of the best matches of my life on clay. Today I played something else. But that's sport." Despite the defeat, Djokovic will start the French Open, which gets underway next Sunday, as one of the leading favourites having completed the career Grand Slam in Paris in 2016. Djokovic names Agassi as new coach Novak Djokovic confirmed American great Andre Agassi as his new coach Sunday, but said they did not yet have a "long-term commitment". "I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he's gonna be there. We'll see what future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us," said Djokovic. "We don't have any long-term commitment. It's just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit." (AFP)

Rome Masters: Zverev stuns Djokovic to lift title

The top seed at the Citi Open in Washington, US player John Isner, produced a dominating display against Australia&#39;s James Duckworth, winning his second round match 6-3, 6-4.&nbsp;The 31 year-old Isner hit 14 aces and lost just three points on his first serve, beating his 24-year-old opponent in just over an hour.&nbsp;Isner has made it through to the final of the Citi Open three times, and will be looking to go seven consecutive seasons winning at least one ATP World Tour title. 
 
France&#39;s Gael Monfils, who made it through the Washington final in 2011, defeated Taiwan&#39;s Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3, 6-2.&nbsp;It was a strong showing from Monfils, who has barely played over the last two months due to a virus, making 10 aces and did not face a break point.&nbsp;He now goes on to face Croatia&#39;s Borna Coric. 
 
Australian third seed Bernard Tomic beat US player Donald Young 7-6(4), 6-3.&nbsp;He won the game in just under an hour and half, and now goes on to face Ivo Karlovic in the third round.&nbsp;In a match between two young up-and-coming talents, Germany&#39;s 19-year-old Alexander Zverev defeated Taylor Fritz, winning 6-4, 6-2. 
 
(Reuters)

John Isner has made it through the the Citi Open final three times, and looks to go seven consecutive seasons winning at least one ATP title

The top seed at the Citi Open in Washington, US player John Isner, produced a dominating display against Australia's James Duckworth, winning his second round match 6-3, 6-4. The 31 year-old Isner hit 14 aces and lost just three points on his first serve, beating his 24-year-old opponent in just over an hour. Isner has made it through to the final of the Citi Open three times, and will be looking to go seven consecutive seasons winning at least one ATP World Tour title. France's Gael Monfils, who made it through the Washington final in 2011, defeated Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3, 6-2. It was a strong showing from Monfils, who has barely played over the last two months due to a virus, making 10 aces and did not face a break point. He now goes on to face Croatia's Borna Coric. Australian third seed Bernard Tomic beat US player Donald Young 7-6(4), 6-3. He won the game in just under an hour and half, and now goes on to face Ivo Karlovic in the third round. In a match between two young up-and-coming talents, Germany's 19-year-old Alexander Zverev defeated Taylor Fritz, winning 6-4, 6-2. (Reuters)

Isner, Monfils win at ATP Washington Open

Australian top seed Samantha Stosur, defending Washington Open champion Sloane Stephens and German teen star Alexander Zverev are setting aside Zika virus fears to compete at the Rio Olympics. 
 
But Sam Querrey, who upset world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, isn&#39;t going to Brazil because it just isn&#39;t that big a deal to him. 
 
Differing views over the mosquito-carried Zika virus and the rash of recent tennis withdrawals from Rio came out Monday on day one of the ATP and WTA event, the first hardcourt stop on the path to the US Open. 
 
&quot;It`s not something you want to take lightly,&quot; Stosur said after beating Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-0. 
 
&quot;Other people say there are going to be far worse things going on than Zika. It`s about being smart, following all the guidelines. I`ve had all the vaccinations. It certainly has entered my mind this time around.&quot; 
 
Several top NBA players, more than 20 men&#39;s golfers and several top tennis players have withdrawn from Rio, many but not all citing the potential for contracting Zika, which causes severe illness and has been linked to birth defects. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m kind of scared but I`m not having any kids any time soon so I should be OK,&quot; said Stephens, a 23-year-old American set to make her Olympic debut. 
 
&quot;Some people are way more sensitive and some people aren`t. It just depends on the person.&quot; 
 
Canada&#39;s seventh-ranked Milos Raonic, who lost the Wimbledon men&#39;s final to Britain&#39;s Andy Murray earlier in July, eighth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych and Austria&#39;s ninth-rated Dominic Thiem all said no to Rio. 
 
So did 16th-ranked John Isner, the Washington men&#39;s top seed, and Querrey, who doesn&#39;t see tennis or golf as true Olympic sports. 
 
&quot;For tennis and golf, the Olympics isn&#39;t a top priority,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have four other Grand Slams. Those are the main focus. 
 
&quot;Some sports in the Olympics, (tennis) and golf, I feel like maybe shouldn`t be in there. It just wasn&#39;t a priority of mine at all.&quot; 
 
That&#39;s a stark contrast to 19-year-old Zverev, who at 27th in the world has become the youngest man to crack the top 30 since Djokovic in 2006. 
 
And Zverev has even suffered severe illness after a bug bite. 
 
&quot;I was at the US Open and something bit me,&quot; Zverev said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m going to be very careful because of that. I only won one match the rest of the year. My leg got a lot swollen. I was really sick with fever, lost a lot of weight, couldn`t eat. 
 
&quot;You think about it, that&#39;s quite a serious thing. You don&#39;t want to get something but the Olympics is a very big event. 
 
&quot;I`m a little bit worried about the Zika virus. A lot of people have pulled out. But it&#39;s going to be a lot of fun.&quot; 
 
Isner has a first-round bye and a round-two date with Australian qualifier James Duckworth, who ousted American Tim Smyczek 7-5, 6-1. 
 
Aussie John Millman, Rio bound as well after Olympic pullouts by Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, advanced to a second-round match with Cypriot Marcus Bagjdatis by downing American Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-0. 
 
(AFP)

Alexander Zverev as become the youngest man to crack the top 30 since Djokovic in 2006

Australian top seed Samantha Stosur, defending Washington Open champion Sloane Stephens and German teen star Alexander Zverev are setting aside Zika virus fears to compete at the Rio Olympics. But Sam Querrey, who upset world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, isn't going to Brazil because it just isn't that big a deal to him. Differing views over the mosquito-carried Zika virus and the rash of recent tennis withdrawals from Rio came out Monday on day one of the ATP and WTA event, the first hardcourt stop on the path to the US Open. "It`s not something you want to take lightly," Stosur said after beating Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-0. "Other people say there are going to be far worse things going on than Zika. It`s about being smart, following all the guidelines. I`ve had all the vaccinations. It certainly has entered my mind this time around." Several top NBA players, more than 20 men's golfers and several top tennis players have withdrawn from Rio, many but not all citing the potential for contracting Zika, which causes severe illness and has been linked to birth defects. "I'm kind of scared but I`m not having any kids any time soon so I should be OK," said Stephens, a 23-year-old American set to make her Olympic debut. "Some people are way more sensitive and some people aren`t. It just depends on the person." Canada's seventh-ranked Milos Raonic, who lost the Wimbledon men's final to Britain's Andy Murray earlier in July, eighth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych and Austria's ninth-rated Dominic Thiem all said no to Rio. So did 16th-ranked John Isner, the Washington men's top seed, and Querrey, who doesn't see tennis or golf as true Olympic sports. "For tennis and golf, the Olympics isn't a top priority," he said. "We have four other Grand Slams. Those are the main focus. "Some sports in the Olympics, (tennis) and golf, I feel like maybe shouldn`t be in there. It just wasn't a priority of mine at all." That's a stark contrast to 19-year-old Zverev, who at 27th in the world has become the youngest man to crack the top 30 since Djokovic in 2006. And Zverev has even suffered severe illness after a bug bite. "I was at the US Open and something bit me," Zverev said. "I'm going to be very careful because of that. I only won one match the rest of the year. My leg got a lot swollen. I was really sick with fever, lost a lot of weight, couldn`t eat. "You think about it, that's quite a serious thing. You don't want to get something but the Olympics is a very big event. "I`m a little bit worried about the Zika virus. A lot of people have pulled out. But it's going to be a lot of fun." Isner has a first-round bye and a round-two date with Australian qualifier James Duckworth, who ousted American Tim Smyczek 7-5, 6-1. Aussie John Millman, Rio bound as well after Olympic pullouts by Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, advanced to a second-round match with Cypriot Marcus Bagjdatis by downing American Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-0. (AFP)

No Zika bite fright for Rio-bound Stosur, Zverev

Florian Mayer put more than a year of injury problems behind him to secure a 6-2 5-7 6-3 victory over teenager Alexander Zverev in an all-German final at the Halle Open on Sunday. 
 
The 32-year-old&#39;s triumph made him the first German to win at home in Halle since Tommy Haas in 2012. At 192 in the world, he also became the lowest-ranked tour-level winner since then-number 240 Nicolas Mahut&#39;s victory in Den Bosch in 2013. 
 
&quot;I wasn&#39;t sure I could play tennis six months ago so I am just really happy,&quot; said Mayer, sidelined for over 12 months with a groin injury before returning to the tour in Bucharest in April. &quot;It is the best feeling I have had on a tennis court.&quot; 
 
The win on grass in the pre-Wimbledon build-up tournament gave Mayer his second title, five years on from his maiden triumph on the clay of Bucharest, will put him back into the top 100 in the ATP rankings. In 2011, he was ranked 18th. 
 
Nineteen-year-old Zverev, who knocked out 17-times grand-slam champion Roger Federer in the semis and was seeking his first title, put up a good fight, particularly in the second set of the match between the two unseeded players. 
 
After losing the first set he reeled off nine of the first 10 points in the second, breaking in the opening game and consolidating for 2-0. The teenager then saved two match points before winning the set to force a decider. 
 
But Mayer broke to go 4-2 up and his steadier game gave him the title on his fifth match point after one hour 55 minutes. 
 
(Reuters)

He beat Alexander Zverev in an all-German final on Sunday

Florian Mayer put more than a year of injury problems behind him to secure a 6-2 5-7 6-3 victory over teenager Alexander Zverev in an all-German final at the Halle Open on Sunday. The 32-year-old's triumph made him the first German to win at home in Halle since Tommy Haas in 2012. At 192 in the world, he also became the lowest-ranked tour-level winner since then-number 240 Nicolas Mahut's victory in Den Bosch in 2013. "I wasn't sure I could play tennis six months ago so I am just really happy," said Mayer, sidelined for over 12 months with a groin injury before returning to the tour in Bucharest in April. "It is the best feeling I have had on a tennis court." The win on grass in the pre-Wimbledon build-up tournament gave Mayer his second title, five years on from his maiden triumph on the clay of Bucharest, will put him back into the top 100 in the ATP rankings. In 2011, he was ranked 18th. Nineteen-year-old Zverev, who knocked out 17-times grand-slam champion Roger Federer in the semis and was seeking his first title, put up a good fight, particularly in the second set of the match between the two unseeded players. After losing the first set he reeled off nine of the first 10 points in the second, breaking in the opening game and consolidating for 2-0. The teenager then saved two match points before winning the set to force a decider. But Mayer broke to go 4-2 up and his steadier game gave him the title on his fifth match point after one hour 55 minutes. (Reuters)

Mayer puts injury struggles behind him to win Halle title

Roger Federer&#39;s bid to win a ninth Halle Open title was ended in the semi-final on Saturday by German teenager Alexander Zverev. The 19-year-old defeated the 17-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(4) 5-7 6-3. 
 
Reigning champion Federer, on the comeback trail after back problems, was looking to reach the final of his traditional pre-Wimbledon tune-up in Germany for an unprecedented 11th time, but found the big-serving 19-year-old home favourite too formidable. 
 
The Swiss world number three had not lost to a teenager for nearly 10 years since the young Andy Murray beat him in Cincinnati in 2006, which gives an indication of Zverev&#39;s considerable potential. 
 
World number 38 Zverev, who had lost to Federer in their only previous meeting in May, dropped just four points on serve in the 39-minute opening set, blasting 14 winners as he took the tiebreak 7-4. 
 
Federer earned a break of serve at 5-5 with a beautiful dropshot in the second set to restore parity but Zverev, the son of a former Russian player with the same name, responded strongly to dethrone the reigning Halle champion. 
 
Zverev will meet the winner of the other semi between Austrian Dominic Thiem and German Florian Mayer. 
(Reuters)

The Swiss maestro lost to German teenager Alexander Zverev

Roger Federer's bid to win a ninth Halle Open title was ended in the semi-final on Saturday by German teenager Alexander Zverev. The 19-year-old defeated the 17-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(4) 5-7 6-3. Reigning champion Federer, on the comeback trail after back problems, was looking to reach the final of his traditional pre-Wimbledon tune-up in Germany for an unprecedented 11th time, but found the big-serving 19-year-old home favourite too formidable. The Swiss world number three had not lost to a teenager for nearly 10 years since the young Andy Murray beat him in Cincinnati in 2006, which gives an indication of Zverev's considerable potential. World number 38 Zverev, who had lost to Federer in their only previous meeting in May, dropped just four points on serve in the 39-minute opening set, blasting 14 winners as he took the tiebreak 7-4. Federer earned a break of serve at 5-5 with a beautiful dropshot in the second set to restore parity but Zverev, the son of a former Russian player with the same name, responded strongly to dethrone the reigning Halle champion. Zverev will meet the winner of the other semi between Austrian Dominic Thiem and German Florian Mayer. (Reuters)

Federer humbled in Halle