Nigeria, June 8 -- Years of near misses, painful defeats and lingering questions were finally erased on Sunday as Alexander Zverev captured the first Grand Slam title of his career, defeating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a gripping five-set final at French Open.

The world number three and second seed prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 after four hours and 16 minutes of high-quality tennis on Court Philippe Chatrier, becoming the first German man since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open to lift a Grand Slam singles title.

For Zverev, the victory was more than just a major title, it was redemption.

"This court is so special to me in so many ways, but now finally, it's a happy end," an emotional Zverev said after the match.

The R...