tennis - Alexander Zverev reaches semifinals in Hamburg
Tennis professional Alexander Zverev reached the semifinal at his home tournament in Hamburg, Germany's Rothenbaum. The Olympian and defending champion won against Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen on Friday in the quarterfinals with a score of 6:4, 6:3. The 27-year-old plays against Pedro Martinez on Saturday for another chance at the tournament's final of the ATP500. The Spaniard had previously defeated the fourth-seeded Argentinian Francesco Cerundolo with a score of 1:6, 6:1, 6:4.
Zverev showed his best performance of the week against Zhizhen, whom he faced for the first time. From the start, he played confidently. His injured left knee seemed to cause fewer problems. The world number four was able to rely on his serve again. The decisive break for winning the first set came at 3:2. At the beginning of the second set, Zverev took away his opponent's serve again. After 1 hour and 6 minutes, he converted the first match point in front of 9,000 excited spectators.
Favorite Holger Rune withdraws
The second semifinal is between Argentinian Sebastián Báez and Arthur Fils. The Frenchman advanced to the semifinals due to the injury-forced retirement of the second-seeded Holger Rune. It was not possible for the Dane to continue at 4:6, 1:4. Rune had complained about knee problems the day before. The third-seeded clay court specialist Báez defeated the Italian Luciano Darderi in his quarterfinal with a score of 2:6, 6:4, 6:4.
- Despite Holger Rune's withdrawal due to knee problems, the second-seeded Danish tennis player was unable to continue in his semifinal match against Arthur Fils, who advanced due to his injury-forced retirement.
- Alexander Zverev, the German Olympian and defending champion, will face Pedro Martinez in the semifinal of the ATP500 tournament in Hamburg, aiming to reach the tournament's final after his win against Zhang Zhizhen in the quarterfinals.
- The fourth-seeded Argentinian Francesco Cerundolo was defeated by the Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the quarterfinals of the Hamburg ATP500 tournament, allowing Martinez to move on to the semifinals and face Alexander Zverev for a chance at the tournament's final.
- Holger Rune, the favorite in the tournament, had reached the semifinal stage of the Hamburg ATP500 tournament before his injury-forced retirement, losing to Arthur Fils, who advanced to the final four due to Rune's retirement.
