"A Tough And Tumultuous Venture" Zverev Battles Through Vomiting and Injury to Reach Semis
Struggling with nausea and knee-high socks, Zverev advances to the semi-finals.
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Print Copy Link Alexander Zverev sails past physical troubles and an unpleasant opponent, securing a semifinals berth at the grass court tournament in Halle. His next challenge: the formidable Russian, Daniil Medvedev.
First, a swift dash to the bathroom to purge, followed by a self-inflicted knee blow with his racket. But that didn't deter the top German tennis player at the ATP tournament in Halle/Westphalia - Alexander Zverev conquered all obstacles, clinching a 6:4, 7:6 (8:6) victory over the persistent Flavio Cobolli from Italy.
"Initially, I felt fantastic," Zverev recounted post-match, regarding the incidents in the opening set. "Then, all of a sudden, I lost my composure. Vomiting was the least of my concerns," he shrugged, and added, "After that debacle, the match went smoothly."
Sports: Overcoming Obstacles
The vomiting bout only stalled Zverev momentarily - he even chuckled when he accidentally struck his knee with his racket while attempting an overhead smash at 3:1. Though Cobolli, the tenacious winner in Hamburg pre-French Open, proved a thorn in Zverev's side, he couldn't convert any of his six break chances.
Next up: The "Ultimate Challenge"
In 1 hour and 41 minutes, Zverev clinched the last match point, setting him up against an opponent on grass that he's struggled against. Zverev cited Medvedev as the "toughest opponent of my career." The two players have met 19 times, with Medvedev leading 12-7 in victories.
Sports: A Contested Legacy
The third-seeded Medvedev claimed the first semifinal spot, defeating Alex Michelsen from the USA 6:4, 6:3. Medvedev too faced a brief setback: At 3:1 in the second set, the Russian sought respite, collapsing on his courtside chair due to a sudden nosebleed.
Zverev has played in Halle nine times, reaching the final thrice. However, he remains winless in the tournament. He lost the 2016 final to Florian Mayer and the 2017 final to Roger Federer.
Source: ntv.de, ses/sid
- Tennis
- Alexander Zverev
- Halle
Additional Insights:
- Alexander Zverev's head-to-head record against Daniil Medvedev stands at 7 wins to Medvedev’s 13 wins in their matchups overall. Their most recent match took place on June 21, 2025, in the semifinals of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, where Medvedev won with a score of 7-6(3), 6-7(1), 6-4[1].
- Medvedev has won the last three meetings between the two, and their rivalry includes matches on different surfaces. Zverev holds 4-5 on hard courts, 0-2 on clay, and 3-5 indoors in their head-to-head statistics. The encounter in Halle 2025 was their first meeting on grass courts[4].
I'm not going to be able to easily win against Daniil Medvedev, given our history in tennis, especially on grass courts. Despite my victories in Halle, I've yet to claim the title, losing in the finals to both Florian Mayer and Roger Federer.
