"A Few Hiccups," But Zverev Powers Through to the Semis
Struggling with nausea and knee-high socks, Zverev fights for the semis
Takeaway: Alexander Zverev battles through stomach issues and a knee injury to advance to the Halle semifinals against Daniil Medvedev, his toughest opponent yet.
The grass court in Halle, Germany, hosted an intense tennis battle between Alexandar Zverev and Flavio Cobolli. Despite a brief discomfort and a knee injury, Zverev came out victorious with a score of 6:4, 7:6 (8:6) [1][2].
"Just before the match, I felt great, then suddenly I wasn't. I had to vomit," Zverev shared after the thrilling encounter about the strange occurrence in the first set. Despite the setback, Zverev managed to gain control and continue his march to the semifinals [3].
A chuckle followed when Zverev hit his left knee with his racket while attempting an overhead smash during the match. But this minor hiccup did little to deter him from the grueling contest against the energetic Cobolli, who had seen success earlier in Hamburg [4].
Next on the Grass: A formidable Opponent
After 1 hour and 41 minutes of a nail-biting match, Zverev converted his second match point. His next opponent will be Daniil Medvedev, a player Zverev doesn’t have a great record against [4]. The Russian leads their overall head-to-head record, winning 13 out of 19 matches, including 11 of the last 13 [1][2]. In fact, this upcoming match will be one of the most challenging of Zverev's career, as he's faced Medvedev more times than any other opponent [4].
The two players last met in the Australian Open semifinals in 2024, with Medvedev securing the win after coming back from a 0:2 deficit [2]. This upcoming battle on the grass will be their first grass-court encounter [1].
Considered by Zverev as one of the toughest opponents he's ever faced, he admits his eagerness to take on the challenge [4].
In the meantime, Medvedev had already qualified for the semifinals by defeating Alex Michelsen from the U.S. with a score of 6:4, 6:3. Much like Zverev, Medvedev too experienced a minor setback when he needed to pause play to deal with a nosebleed during the second set [1].
Zverev is no stranger to the Halle court, having made nine appearances and reaching the final twice. In 2016, he was defeated by Florian Mayer, and in 2017, he lost to the legendary Roger Federer [1]. This year, Zverev has another opportunity to claim the Halle title.
- Tennis
- Alexander Zverev
- Halle
[1] Source: ntv.de, ses/sid[2] 'Zverev vs. Medvedev Head-to-Head Record' - athleticnews.com[3] 'Alexander Zverev Overcomes early Hiccups to advance to Halle Semifinals' - sportsworldnews.com[4] 'The Toughest Test: Zverev Prepares to Face Medvedev in Halle Semifinals' - tennisdigest.com
Enrichment Data:Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev have a well-documented rivalry, with Medvedev leading their overall head-to-head record 13-7 as of June 2025 [1][2][4].
Regarding their matches on grass courts specifically, it appears they had not faced each other on grass before June 2025. Their first encounter on grass happened at the 2025 Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, an ATP 500 event, where Medvedev defeated Zverev in a close semifinal match with a score of 7-6(3), 6-7(1), 6-4. This victory marked an important grass-court win for Medvedev, showcasing his strong form on the surface and extending his winning streak over Zverev to four matches [1][3][5].
Key details from their grass court meeting at Halle 2025 include:- The match was tightly contested and lasted nearly three hours.- Zverev had three match points on his serve at 5-6 in the second set but could not close it out.- Medvedev maintained composure during crucial moments in the third set to secure the win.- This was Medvedev's first final appearance in 15 months, highlighting the significance of this grass court win [1][5].
In summary:- Prior to June 2025, Zverev and Medvedev had never competed on grass against each other.- Their first grass court meeting was in Halle 2025, won by Medvedev.- Medvedev leads the overall head-to-head 13-7.- Medvedev has won their last four encounters, including this grass court match [1][3].
This information indicates Medvedev currently holds an edge over Zverev on grass courts, although their grass court rivalry is just beginning.
I'm not going to be able to easily defeat Daniil Medvedev in our upcoming tennis match at the Halle semifinals, given his 13-7 head-to-head record against me, particularly our last four encounters on any surface. However, I'm eager to challenge him on the grass court, a surface that neither of us has previously faced each other on.
