Alexander Zverev secured his fourth consecutive French Open semifinal berth with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory over Australian 11th seed Alex de Minaur on Wednesday. Zverev, the fourth seed, will face Casper Ruud for a spot in Sunday's final after Ruud advanced due to Novak Djokovic's injury-related withdrawal.
Zverev, riding an 11-match winning streak after winning the Rome title last month, has yet to reach the final at Roland Garros. "I'm happy to be in another semifinal. Hopefully, I can win one," said Zverev, who notably defeated 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round this year. However, he was defeated by Ruud in straight sets during the semifinals of the French Open in 2023.
Unlike his previous two rounds, where he needed five sets each, Zverev dispatched De Minaur in under three hours. He saved a set point on his serve at 5-6 in the second set and clinched a 39-shot rally to bring up a set point in the tie-break, which he secured on the first attempt.
"Everybody in the press keeps asking me what I do for recovery and the answer is very simple -- you don't recover after matches, you recover in the off-season," said Zverev. "I have the mindset you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player."
Zverev's campaign last year was cut short by a severe ankle injury in his semifinal against Nadal, forcing him to retire. In the previous year, he was defeated in five sets by Stefanos Tsitsipas at the same stage. Despite his ongoing trial in Berlin over allegations of assaulting an ex-girlfriend, Zverev remains focused.
Meanwhile, De Minaur, playing in just his second major quarterfinal, reflected on his missed opportunities, particularly a 4-0 lead in the second set tie-break. "I'm extremely proud of my efforts through the two weeks. Even today I think I put up a hell of a fight in difficult conditions against a quality opponent," said De Minaur.
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