Alexander Zverev has lived up to his No.2 seeding to qualify for the men’s singles semi-final at the Australian Open, but is still going into his clash with world No.7 Novak Djokovic on Friday as the clear underdog.
Djokovic needs no introduction as a 10-time champion at Melbourne Park and his inferior ranking to Zverev will be irrelevant when they hit the court.
The Serb leads 8-4 in the head to head with Zverev, whose only blight on an otherwise impressive career is his performance at the pointy end of major championships.
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Zverev has reached the final of a grand slam only twice and has never won one.
It’s a glaring issue that has Australian Tennis great John Millman concerned.
“(Zverev) is going to have to turn around that grand slam record against (Djokovic); in grand slam matches he is 0-3,” Millman said on Nine.
“We know how good Novak is, especially on Rod Laver Arena.
“Zverev has got to do two things well: he’s got to serve well, that’s his strength; he’s also got to take the game on.
“A grand slam against Novak Djokovic, he doesn’t let you win, you’ve got to go and win it, and that has sometimes been Zverev’s problem.
“He hasn’t run to the finished lines, he’s wanted his opponents to lose it against it.
“But he is playing well. This is going to be an absolute cracker.”
Feeling it’s been too long between drinks, Zverev is vowing to throw everything at Djokovic in a desperate bid to savour a third grand slam final — and hopefully more.
Friday’s will be Zverev’s eighth semi-final at a major.
Tennis’s most unfulfilled talent accepts his strike rate at the sport’s four biggest events is not good enough.
But the 27-year-old also notes he was not a factor at the slams for the best part of 18 months after tearing three ligaments in his ankle during a painful 2022 French Open semi-final retirement against Rafael Nadal.
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“I did have a two-year break where I was not competitive for grand slams,” Zverev said.
“From my injury in 2022 till basically 2024 I was not really a contender for grand slams.
“The last part of 2022 I wasn’t playing at all. In 2023, it was my comeback year. But realistically speaking, I was not at the level to compete for grand slams.
“So I think being in those situations more frequently and maybe not having a gap of multiple years where I am in grand slam finals is very important.
“So I’m going to do everything I can to be in another one on Sunday.”
Runner-up to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open after relinquishing a two-set lead, then losing last year’s French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev knows he is capable.
Two season-ending champions and an Olympic singles gold medal are testament to his talent.
Hence why the second seed will enter his third Australian Open semi-final – and second straight after also losing from two sets up last year against Daniil Medvedev — believing he can win.
“You’re not going to get to the semis of a grand slam by not deserving to be there and not playing great tennis,” Zverev said.
“If you are in a semi-final of a grand slam, you have to expect a tough match.
“If somebody’s there, that means they have played great tennis – and yes, more often than not it happens to be Sinner and Alcaraz, a Djokovic, to get there because those are the best players in the world.
“So I’m going to prepare myself for a tough battle. I’m going to prepare myself for a very intense and high-level match.
“I know I have the level. I’ve beaten them before. Hopefully I can do that again.”
– With AAP
