Ace, ace, ace.

Alexander Zverev's first three points in the Rome final were unstoppable, setting the stage for his impressive 6-4, 7-5 victory over Nicolas Jarry at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Zverev delivered the best serving performance of his career, losing just five service points throughout the match. He won 37 out of 39 first serves and 7 out of 10 second serves, with only one double fault and six aces in 11 service games.

Jarry, who won the toss and chose to receive, hoped for an early break but never had a chance to break Zverev's serve. Jarry faced nine break points on his serve and saved seven. Over the past year, Zverev has emerged as the best server on Tour, topping the Infosys ATP Stats Serve Leaderboard with a rating of 293.5. His first serve percentage stands at 72.2%, but he exceeded that in the final, making 80% (39/49) of his first serves. In the opening set, Zverev made an astonishing 90% (19/21) of his first serves and won every single one, needing to hit only two second serves.

In Zverev's second service game, Jarry managed to return three first serves but failed to win any points. Zverev started the match by making his first nine first serves in a row and won four of his service games to love in the opening set.

Zverev went on a run at the end of the first set and the beginning of the second, winning 12 out of 13 points, further asserting his dominance. He won his opening service game of the second set to love, increasing the pressure on Jarry.

Zverev won an astonishing 31 consecutive points on his first serve until 6-4, 4-4, 15/0, when Jarry finally won one with a forehand winner off a drop shot.

Jarry highlighted what makes Zverev's serve so unique: “His first serve percentage was very high,” Jarry said. “His serve is different from others. He takes the ball very high, which makes the bounce special. It took me time to adjust to its trajectory.”

Zverev's ability to vary the placement of his serves kept Jarry guessing. In the Deuce court, Zverev made 11 serves out wide, one at the body, and nine down the T, winning every first serve point. In the Ad court, he served eight down the T (winning all) and won eight out of 10 serves out wide.

It’s interesting to note that when you examine serve speed, you see very little difference in performance between the two players:

• Fastest 1st Serve: Zverev 140 mph/Jarry 139 mph
• Average 1st Serve: Zverev 131 mph/Jarry 129 mph
• Average 2nd Serve: Zverev 107 mph/Jarry 107 mph

When Jarry managed to return the serve, Zverev consistently dominated with his follow-up shots. He executed 13 Serve +1 forehands, winning 11 of those points, and 11 Serve +1 backhands, winning 10. In contrast, Jarry faced 41 Serve +1 forehands, winning 24, and 11 Serve +1 backhands, winning just five.

Zverev's first serve overwhelmed Jarry not only with its sheer volume but also with its sharp angles and clever directional variations. This combination created an almost perfect serving performance, propelling Zverev to World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.

What are your thoughts on Zverev's serving prowess? Share your insights at admin@10is.co.uk

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