Alexander Zverev won his 16th consecutive match yet the biggest test for him comes now as Novak Djokovic awaits for a spot in the final.
Facing Lloyd Harris at the
US Open is something many players would have liked to avoid as the South African is making a name for himself as one of the best servers on the tour. When he hits his serve at a great level he is almost unbeatable and Zverev admitted as much after the match:
"He served incredibly in the first set, so I didn't have a lot of chances. I somehow managed to win the first set and that loosened me up a little bit."
Zverev was behind late in the set with Harris serving for it. One bad service game by the South African was enough for Zverev to punish him. He was then able to outlast him in a very close tiebreak 8-6 which made things easier for Zverev. Harris served worse as time went on and that proved enough. Heading into the semifinal Zverev only dropped serve four times and speaking on that he said:
"The serve is the shot I've spent the most time on, it's the shot that I've got to practise the most. At some point I feel like, if you work very hard, you're doing the right things, it will come together. Maybe that's what's happening right now.”
So far it's been working and he will need every bit of his serve against Novak Djokovic in the semifinal. The Serbian came back to win against Berrettini and asked about facing Djokovic Zverev kept it simple:
“He is the best player in the world. He is very difficult to beat."