Zverev advances to the semis in Paris.
The thrill continues: Alexander Zverev advances to the French Open semifinals once again, just two victories away from his first major championship. Despite a rocky game against Alex de Minaur, Zverev secured his place.
Beaming with joy, Alexander Zverev raised his arms in front of the audience. For the fourth straight year, the renowned German tennis player has reached the semi-finals of the French Open. At the age of 27, he prevailed in Wednesday's quarterfinal clash against surprise Australian entrant Alex De Minaur, defeating him 6:4, 7:6 (7:5), 6:4. He's only two wins away from claiming his first Grand Slam title.
"I'm thrilled to be back in the semifinals," smiled Zverev in the post-match interview. "I hope one day I can win one."
In a few days, Zverev will face Norwegian sensation Casper Ruud. As a result of Novak Djokovic's withdrawal due to injury, Ruud will now contest the semifinals.
With two grueling five-set matches against Dane Holger Rune and Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, Zverev spent almost three hours on Court Philippe Chatrier. Although his performance wasn't at the pinnacle, he eventually managed to convert his first match point.
Only ten other players in the professional era have managed to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros four times in a row. Of the active professionals, this feat has been accomplished by Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, Spanish clay court guru Rafael Nadal, prominent British tennis player Andy Murray, and dominant Austrian Dominic Thiem.
Struggles with his forehand
As the clear favorite, Zverev entered the match with a record of 7 wins in 9 previous encounters, including the only match they played on clay two years prior. The question swirling in everyone's mind, "How fit is Sascha Zverev?" was posed by tennis great Boris Becker from Eurosport.
Zverev exhibited moments of uncertainty in his gameplay. There were numerous mishits with his forehand, which De Minaur cleverly exploited.
A caution was served at 5:6 and 40:40 in the second set when Zverev took too much time on his serve. However, the German was able to overcome this predicament and a 0:4 deficit in the tiebreak. Ultimately, he increased his extraordinary tiebreak record in Paris to 23:2. Hearing the crowd's encouragement, he instinctively put his finger to his ear, urging them to support his efforts. In the third set, Zverev broke at 5:3 to secure the win, but then immediately lost his serve. In the ensuing game, he sealed the match.
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Alexander Zverev's path to the French Open Grand Slam semi-finals continues with his victory over Alex de Minaur. In the Tennis - ORDNER, Zverev is now just two wins away from claiming his first major championship at the French Open, where he's previously reached the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.
