Alexander Zverev (No. 4) defeated Alex De Minaur (No. 11) 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-4 to advance to the semifinals of the French Open. The German reached the semifinals at Roland Garros for the fourth consecutive time and will challenge 3-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud for a place in the final.
In the first set, the German secured the first break in the third game but was unable to hold it in his next service game. Both maintained a 62% first serve percentage throughout the set, though Zverev was slightly more effective in return points.
Despite this, it was a set marked by unforced errors, with 15 from the Australian and 17 from the German. Sascha got the break in the 7th game and ended up taking the set through his service at 6-4.
In the second set, the dynamics were similar, with Zverev getting the first break in the 5th game, and just like in the first set, De Minaur recovered the break in the next game. This time, the Australian seemed more confident in holding his serve and put pressure on Zverev. With the score at 6-5 in favor of the world No. 11, De Minaur had a break and set point opportunity, but Zverev managed to save it, sending the set to a tie-break.
De Minaur again had ample opportunities, securing two mini-breaks and leading 4-0, but Zverev recovered the mini-breaks against him and won seven of the next eight points to finally take the set 7-6(5).
Zverev's great comeback in the tie-break led him into the third set with confidence, dominating easily with over 70% first serve, compared to just 54% for his opponent. In the 6th game, Zverev got the break to go up 5-3 with the serve in his favor, but De Minaur persevered to recover the break. However, he could not hold his serve in the next game, and Zverev finally prevailed in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-4 to advance to the semifinals of the French Open.
In the semifinals, he will face 2-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud, who advanced directly from the quarterfinals after Novak Djokovic's withdrawal.
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
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