Tennis player Struff pressures Sinner, ultimately suffering a defeat.
Tennis titan Alexander Zverev endures another grueling match in Halle, ultimately proceeding to the semifinals. Another German falters close to an upset.
Zverev maintains his hopes for his inaugural victory at the Halle tennis tournament. The Olympic champion clinched his quarterfinal against Frenchman Arthur Fils after a grueling battle with a score of 6:7 (5:7), 6:3, 6:4. With less than two weeks to go before the grass-court classic at Wimbledon, Zverev snatched victory after a laborious 2.5 hours, securing his third match point. He squares off against Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals on Saturday (1 pm), who defeated Marcos Giron of the USA with a score of 7:6 (7:5), 6:4. "I adore playing here. Tennis has bestowed wealth and happiness upon me. When I perform before a full German audience, I am the happiest person on earth", Zverev expressed after his hard-won triumph.
Jan-Lennard Struff narrowly missed an upset, however. The 34-year-old fell short in his quarterfinal against the Italian Jannik Sinner despite an impressive performance, scoring 2:6, 7:6 (7:1), 6:7 (3:7). Struff struggled to find momentum in the opening set but picked up the pace, putting pressure on the frontrunner. In the end, Sinner emerged victorious after 2 hours and 30 minutes. The South Tyrolean faces the winner of the match between Zhang Zhizhen of China and Christopher Eubanks of the USA in the semifinals.
Zverev initially faced challenges against the free-spirited Fils from the outset. The French Open finalist wasn't quite as sprightly as he was two days prior against the Italian Lorenzo Sonego. Fils utilized powerful shots to put pressure on Zverev. The young Frenchman displayed solid play, making it challenging for Zverev to gain a break point in the first set. The decision went to a tiebreak, where Zverev allowed a few unforced errors, resulting in the first set going to the Frenchman after precisely an hour of play.
Fatigue leads to crucial break
Zverev appeared disheartened and confused before his team on the sidelines, where his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla also sat. But soon, he regrouped and resumed the fight against the young Frenchman. Pre-tournament, Zverev and Fils had trained together. According to Zverev's brother Mischa, the grass court practice took its toll on Fils. However, in the week of Halle, the number 37 embarked on a significant learning journey and put pressure on Zverev.
Despite his second seeding, the German took control of the game. At 4:2, he eventually secured the long-awaited break, which led to a tiebreak for the second set. The decision had to fall in the third set - and it did, under the covered roof due to the anticipated rain. Zverev appeared somewhat weary at the beginning of the third set, but at 4:3, he garnered the decisive break. A few moments later, he secured his place in the semifinals and was met with cheers from the fans.
