World No.5 Alexander Zverev made quick work of Casper Ruud on Friday night, prevailing in just under an hour to book his spot in the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open.
The third seed put on a commanding display, dispatching of his Norwegian opponent with an easy 6-1 6-3 victory. He was almost flawless from the baseline, neutralizing Ruud's serve with ease and making the eighth seed scamper around the court.
After easily claiming the first set, Zverev suffered a lapse in focus as Ruud obtained an early break to lead 2-1. However, the 2020 US Open finalist immediately broke back, before reeling on the last three games to secure his victory.
Zverev will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, as the second seed defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in their quarterfinal encounter. The Greek star leads Zverev 6-2 in career meetings, with Tsitsipas winning their most recent clash in the semifinals of this year's French Open.
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Still yet to drop a set this week...
@AlexZverev sees off Ruud 6-1 6-3 to set up a ninth career meeting with Tsitsipas in the Cincinnati semis!
#CincyTennis