Dominic Thiem says what Alexander Zverev did against Ben Shelton in the BMW Open final which was ‘unbelievable’

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Alexander Zverev has added another ATP Tour title to his honours list, having beaten Ben Shelton in the BMW Open final.

Zverev congratulated Shelton on his run at the BMW Open, which ended in a 6-2, 6-4 final loss to the top seed.

Shelton was the second seed at the ATP 500 tournament, and battled past fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-finals to reach the last two.

World number 13 Shelton was the first American to reach an ATP 500 clay semi-final, which he won 2-6, 7-6(9-7), 6-4.

He ultimately fell short of a third ATP title and a second on clay, with Zverev clinching his first trophy of the season.

Dominic Thiem praises ‘unbelievable’ Alexander Zverev after BMW Open final win

His win on home soil in Munich represents a 24th ATP title, with the display leaving a significant impression on legendary figure Dominic Thiem.

The Austrian, who retired last year, was a special guest at the BMW Open, where it was posed to him post-match if a closer match was expected from Shelton or if Zverev simply was too good.

READ MORE: Alexander Zverev names the player ranked outside of the ATP top 50 who makes things ‘extremely complicated’ for the ‘top guys’ in tennis

“Sascha was too good,” Thiem said on Sky Sports Tennis. “I don’t think Shelton played badly, but I was watching it live and it’s unbelievable.

“Shelton served well at 220/225 km/h and Sascha just stands back and neutralises the balls on the return. That’s sensational. It’s such small things and that’s why he deserved to win.”

Dominic Thiem predicts if Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam this year

Zverev undoubtedly needed a strong tournament in Munich, having recently slipped to third in the ATP rankings after a poor run of form.

But he has now returned to the top two following his latest success, despite Carlos Alcaraz reaching the Barcelona Open final.

READ MORE: Alexander Zverev admits he made a ‘mistake’ after losing in the Australian Open final to Jannik Sinner which has impacted him recently

The duo looks set to continue that battle all the way through the clay season, which includes the French Open.

Alcaraz beat Zverev in the 2024 Roland Garros final, one of three such Grand Slam final results for the German.

Asked if Zverev is capable of finally winning a Grand Slam this season, Thiem replied: “It’s realistic for Sascha at every Grand Slam.

“He’s just so good. You saw that in Australia too. I think the slight dip in form he had afterwards is completely normal.

“Now in Munich he has recovered, just at the right time. There are still two cool, big tournaments to go before the French Open.

“He is also one of the absolute top favourites at the French Open with Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner. Everything has to go well for a Grand Slam, but if that happens, he’s absolutely capable of winning it.”