ROME, May 20, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Alexander Zverev won his second Rome Open on 
Sunday by beating Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 7-5 and claiming his biggest title since 
his horror injury at the French Open two years ago.

World number five Zverev, also Foro Italico champion in 2017, comfortably won 
his sixth Masters 1000 title in the last major tournament before Roland 
Garros, which gets underway next weekend.

The 27-year-old succeeded in his 11th Masters final which equalled Boris 
Becker's record for the most by a German since the series began in 1990.

Zverev's title in the Italian capital seven years ago was the first at this 
level of his career and Sunday's was his first since coming back from a 
horrendous ankle injury suffered in the 2022 French Open semi-finals.

"Rome is a very special place for me," said Zverev on court. 

"I said at the beginning of the week that if Rome is the place of firsts for 
me then I'm extremely happy about it. Obviously a very, very special week.

"The focus is on Paris right, that's for sure, but let me enjoy this one for 
a day or so and then I'll focus on Paris."

Zverev comfortably beat Chile's Jarry, who could not repeat his quarter-final 
and semi-final heroics against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul in reaching 
his first Masters final, in one hour and 41 minutes.

The German dropped just five points on his serve in a performance which 
showed a clear gap in class and gave him his first 1000-level title since 
triumphing in Cincinnati in August 2021.

"My feeling right now is I want to go to Roland Garros and play better 
because I know I can play better and do good there," Jarry told reporters.

"I'm very motivated. That's how I am right now."

Zverev claimed his first title of the year and first since winning at Chengdu 
in September at the end of an unusual men's tournament in which a host of top 
names were either eliminated early or dropped out before the start of the 
event.

Six-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic was dumped out in the third round by 
Zverev's semi-final opponent, journeyman Alejandro Tabilo. 

Last year's winner Daniil Medvedev was stopped at the last-16 stage while 
Italian world number two Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz both 
missed the tournament with injury.

Earlier, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini gave Italian fans something to cheer 
after beating Coco Gauff and Erin Routliffe to the women's doubles title.

Unseeded Errani and Paolini made the Foro Italico crown roar by beating 
reigning US Open singles champion Gauff and Routliffe 6-3, 4-6, 10-8.

Home supporters had been denied the chance to see Sinner and Matteo 
Berrettini play, with the former Wimbledon finalist also not fit enough to 
take part in his home city.