Alexander Zverev showed his resilience and knack for decisive moments by defeating Tommy Paul in a rollercoaster 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1 victory on Tuesday. With the victory, Zverev advances to his third Australian Open semi-final in five years, continuing his quest for an elusive Grand Slam title.
Survive the heat and battle
The 27-year-old German overcame a slow start to the match in the stifling heat of Rod Laver Arena, where Paul looked set to take control from the start. Despite struggling to find his rhythm, Zverev’s dominance in tiebreaks allowed him to take a crucial two-set lead.
“To be honest, I should have been down two sets to zero,” Zverev admitted after the match. “He played better than me. I wasn’t playing very well. But somehow I was up two sets, and suddenly I just needed one more.”
Zverev’s performance in the fourth set, where he overtook Paul with his finest tennis of the match, sealed his place in the final four. He now awaits the winner of the highly anticipated clash between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
Mastery of decisive and turning games
Paul, who had beaten Zverev in their previous two meetings, looked to extend his dominance by seizing early opportunities. The American took a break at 6-5 in the first set, only for Zverev to respond immediately before dominating the tiebreak 7-1.
In the second set, Paul took an early 3-0 lead, but Zverev’s persistence paid off. After fending off break points and overcoming an on-court confrontation with referee Nacho Forcadell over a controversial let call, Zverev managed to come back and crushed Paul 7-0 in another tiebreak.
“I was angry after that let call,” Zverev admitted. “But it gave me energy to push harder, and that second tiebreak was the turning point.”
-Paul fights but falters in the fourth
Paul kept his hopes alive with a dominant third set, breaking Zverev twice and closing it 6-2 with a blistering forehand. However, the American’s momentum was short-lived. Zverev came out on fire in the fourth, racing to a 5-0 lead before Paul finally scored after a four-way tie game. By then, the damage was done.
“He raises his level in big moments,” Paul said. “My level, unfortunately, dropped in the big moments today.”
In search of Grand Slam glory
With this victory, Zverev reached his ninth Grand Slam semi-final, more than any active player without a major title. Known for his near-victories on tennis’ biggest stages, the German seems determined to finally break through.
“I’m obviously extremely happy to be back in the semi-finals,” Zverev said. “This is why we work so hard, and I’m ready for what comes next.”
What comes next?
Zverev’s opponent in the semifinals will be either Novak Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open champion, or Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish sensation who is aiming for a career Grand Slam at just 21 years old. With Zverev’s form steadily improving, his dream of finally lifting a Grand Slam trophy is alive and well.
