Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Tuesday January 21, 2025 at 8:47 a.m.
Winner of Tommy Paul in four sets (7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1), this Tuesday in Melbourne, Alexander Zverev will play his third semi-final at the Australian Open. The German, very solid despite a set point for the American in the first two sets, will face Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz.
Alexander Zverev still in the semi-finals at the Australian Open. For the third time in his life and for the second year in a row, the German was invited to the final four in Melbourne, this Tuesday after his victory in four sets (7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1) against Tommy Paul. The world number 2 had never before beaten the American in two confrontations, and he did not come very far from a third defeat against the current world number 11. Paul, a tone above Zverev in the first two sets, as the German admitted afterwards (“he was better than me in the first two sets”), in fact created two opportunities in each round to materialize its domination without ever achieving it. And unfortunately for the semi-finalist of the Adelaide tournament a few days before the start of this Australian Open, he both exploded completely in flight in the decisive game that followed. Zverev, very happy not to be behind given the appearance of the start of this quarter-final which had seen Paul serve to win the set in the first two sets, had left only one point to his opponent in the first tie-break, he won… 7-0 the second.
Against Djokovic or Alcaraz for a first final in Melbourne?
Despite a scenario which could have easily knocked him out, especially since he had taken off in the second set (3-0, 4-1 then 5-2), the world number 11 (his best ranking) despite all continue to struggle. And after breaking Zverev again from the start, he completely restarted this quarter-final by sweeping Zverev in the third set. Unless the runner-up to Jannik Sinner decided to voluntarily let this round slip away to save himself before the next set, he who admitted afterwards that he had tried in vain to be scheduled for a night session instead of the clash between Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (“the answer was quick, it was no”). Ugo Humbert's tormentor in the round of 16, qualified for his seventh Grand Slam semi-final and seemed imperturbable throughout the game, in fact left with a vengeance, and left only crumbs for Paul, who failed at the same time against his quest for a second semi-final in Melbourne after the one lost in 2023 against the master of the place Novak Djokovic but will also have to wait before winning his first victory against a Top 5. Zverev, who finished the match with an ace (he served seven in this quarter-final, compared to nine for Paul), will be pitted against the winner of the clash between Djokovic and Alcaraz for a first final in Melbourne.
