MUNICH: Germany's world No.3 Alexander Zverev beat veteran compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-3 to win the Munich ATP Open for a second consecutive year on Sunday.
The fresh-faced 21-year-old from Hamburg, who is coached by his father, beat Argentina's Guido Pella in the 2017 final.
One year on and his victim was Kohlschreiber, a triple champion in Munich, who had not lost a single set coming through the rounds.
But the 34-year-old had two break points in the sixth game of the first set only to lose the game and then get broken in the next game.
Zverev, the great hope of German tennis, then broke his older compatriot in the opening game of the second set and the top seed never looked back.
"It is a very special event for me so I am very happy that I was able defend my title," he said after his seventh ATP title.
"I had to play my best tennis to have a chance, so that is what I did," said Zverev, a semi-finalist at the Monte Carlo Masters.
"At the beginning I was struggling a little bit and then I found my rhythm and felt very good on court."
"Losing the final is never easy or fun," Kohlschreiber commented.
"He (Zverev) played better in this final. He played a really good match. It was a great week for me and for sure I will be coming back next year."