Unsettling Adversary and Body Woes: Zverev Scraps into Semis
Struggling with Nausea and Knee-High Socks: Zverev Cruises towards the Semifinals
Challenging adversary and physical setbacks: Yet Alexander Zverev manages to advance to the semifinals of the grass tournament in Halle. Up next for him is the "toughest opponent" of his career, Russian Daniil Medvedev.
First, Zverev dashed to the restroom to retch, then he banged his left knee. But the top German tennis player at the ATP tournament in Halle/Westphalia overcame these hurdles: After a grueling 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) victory against the bothersome Flavio Cobolli from Italy, he's now in the semifinals and will square off against the Russian Daniil Medvedev.
"Initially, I felt great, then all of a sudden, not so much. I had to throw up," Zverev said post-match about the early set happenings: After breaking his foe to take the lead, he suddenly doubled over at the baseline at 40-40 in the second game - and hurried to the restroom. "Can't quite place what caused it," Zverev shrugged, yet still declared, "Following that, it was a cracking match."
Tennis Brawl
Cobolli, who triumphed in Hamburg before the French Open, proved to be incredibly tenacious, but couldn't convert any of his six break opportunities.
After 1 hour and 41 minutes, Zverev secured his second match point - he'll now face an adversary on grass who he doesn't particularly relish competing against. Zverev has a negative record against Medvedev, losing 12 out of 19 matches, including 11 of the last 13. "He's one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced," Zverev stated about the player he's met more times than any other, but added, "I can't wait." They last locked horns in the semifinals of the Australian Open 2024, with Medvedev claiming victory after battling back from a two-set deficit.
Next: The "Toughest Opponent"
The third-seeded Medvedev was the initial semifinalist. He vanquished Alex Michelsen from the USA 6-4, 6-3. Michelsen also took a brief pause: At 3-1 in the second set, the Russian sought refuge on his courtside couch to handle a sudden nosebleed.
Zverev has played in Halle eight times, reaching the final on three occasions. He hasn't won the tournament yet. In 2016, he lost the final to Florian Mayer, and in 2017, he lost to Roger Federer.
Sports
- Tennis
- Alexander Zverev
- Halle
I'm not sure I'm ready for this tennis match against Daniil Medvedev, my toughest opponent yet. Despite the challenges I faced during the match against Cobolli, I'm eager to play on grass, a court that we both enjoy, especially considering our history – I've lost 12 out of 19 matches against him, including 11 of the last 13.
