Vomiting Forced During Game: Zverev Exits Arena Unexpectedly
First, a Shocker for Tennis Fans: Zverev Makes it to Semis despite Setbacks
Alexander Zverev, Germany's top tennis contender, showed resilience at the ATP Halle tournament. After a swift dash to the bathroom to deal with an upset stomach and a racket-beating incident on his left knee, Zverev overcame Flavio Cobolli, Italy's 24th-ranked player, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) to advance to the semis. Standing in his way now is Daniil Medvedev.
Zverev: "I Felt Unsettled but Recovered"
"I was feeling good before the match, then it turned sour on me," commented Zverev after the game about his queasy first set. Following a break point at the beginning, Zverev suddenly doubled over at 40:40 in the second game of the first set, sprinting off to the toilet. "I can't pinpoint what caused the reaction," he shrugged, but added, "After that, it was a pretty solid match."
Zverev's Challenging Journey Ahead
Undeterred by his mishaps, including a chuckle at his racket-induced knee injury at 3:1, Zverev didn’t have an easy ride. The nimble Cobolli, who clinched a win in Halle preceding the French Open, put up a solid fight but couldn’t capitalize on any of his six break opportunities.
Zverev, the world's third-ranked player, took home the victory after 1 hour and 41 minutes, using his second match point. However, the semifinals won’t be a walk in the park for Zverev, as he holds a negative record against Medvedev. Out of their 20 matches, Zverev has only taken seven wins, with Medvedev snagging 13, including their last 11 meetings.
"Medvedev is one of the most demanding opponents in my career," said Zverev about his fierce rival, shared more with than any other player. "I'm excited for the challenge." Both rivals last met in the 2024 Australian Open semifinals, with Medvedev clinching victory after coming back from a 0:2 set deficit.
Medvedev, the tournament's first to book a spot in the semifinals, defeated Alex Michelsen from the USA 6-4, 6-3. Mid-match, Medvedev took a quick break to manage an intense nosebleed.
A clip of Zverev’s inspiring performance against the odds: https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
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Despite his stomach issue and a knee injury, Alexander Zverev managed to win his tennis match and advance to the semifinals at the ATP Halle tournament, setting up a sports clash against Daniil Medvedev. The world's third-ranked player finds himself in a challenging journey ahead, as he has only taken seven wins out of their 20 matches, with Medvedev winning 13, including their last 11 meetings.
