"A Bump in the Road" Vomiting and Knee Contusion: Zverev Battles into Semis
Struggling with nausea and knee-high shoes, Zverev advances to the semi-finals.
Take a seat, folks! Here's the lowdown on Alexander Zverev's rough ride to the semifinals of the ATP tournament in Halle/Westphalia. This German tennis titan faced an unpleasant opponent, some physical disturbances, yet still managed to make it to the promised land. His next duel? The battle of his career against Russian upstart Daniil Medvedev.
First off, Zverev had a dramatic dash to the restroom to throw up, followed by a knee whack with his racket at 3:1 in the set play. Yet, these hiccups didn't knock Zverev off his game— after a grueling 6:4, 7:6 (8:6) against the tenacious Flavio Cobolli from Italy, he booked his ticket to the semis.
"Before the match, I was feeling chill," Zverev confessed post-match, regarding the bewildering first-set drama: After nailing Cobolli's serve to take the first game, he suddenly doubled over at 40:40 in the second game - and sprinted for the loo. "No idea what caused it," Zverev shrugged, but added: "After that, it was a helluva game."
The Bogey Match Beckons
Zverev's vomiting blip merely provided a brief halt—he chuckled off the knee fumble. But let's face it; the match wasn't a walk in the park—the crafty Cobolli, who scored a win in Hamburg before the French Open, was a tough nut to crack, but he squandered all six break-point chances.
Next on Deck: The Toughest Opponent
After 1 hour and 41 minutes, Zverev secured his second match point—he now stands against an opponent he hasn't had much luck with on grass. Against Medvedev, Zverev's record isn't stellar, losing 12 out of 19 matches, including 11 of the last 13. "He's one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced," Zverev admitted about the player he's squared off against more than any other, but added: "I can't wait for it!" They last locked horns in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2024, with Medvedev clinching a comeback victory after dropping the first two sets.
By the way, heads up, Medvedev was the first to bag a spot in the semis—he defeated Alex Michelsen from the US 6:4, 6:3. The Russian also had a bit of a scare: At 3:1 in the second set, the Russian paused for a nosebleed attack beside his courtside chair.
Zverev has been treading the Halle turf for the ninth time, and for the third time, he's within reach of a final victory. He's yet to win the tournament. In 2016, he lost to Florian Mayer in the final, and in 2017, he surrendered to Roger Federer.
Sources: ntv.de, ses/sid
- Tennis
- Alexander Zverev
- Halle
Enrichment Data Insight:- Historically, Alexander Zverev's record against Daniil Medvedev on grass courts is not stellar, with Zverev losing more than he's won. However, their grass court encounters have only started in recent years.- In their most recent grass court match in the 2025 Halle Open semifinal, Daniil Medvedev emerged victorious against Alexander Zverev in three grueling sets.
I'm not going to be able to underestimate Daniil Medvedev in our upcoming grass court tennis match. Despite his history of defeats against Medvedev on grass, tennis has a way of surprising everyone.
Regardless of our past encounters, I can't wait for our next match, just like I couldn't wait for our Australian Open semifinals battle back in 2024.
