As of: January 26, 2024 6:36 a.m
After the almost perfect game against Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev will face his arch-rival Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals of the Australian Open today. The Hamburg player has often been in a losing position against the Russians. In Melbourne, Zverev is in top form in good time and is now a candidate for the title.
Only 29 minutes for the first set against Carlos Alcaraz! Many spectators rubbed their eyes in amazement after Alexander Zverev’s 6-1 win in the quarterfinals against the Wimbledon winner. The 26-year-old from Hamburg was in impressive form against the high-flyer from Spain, who was six years his junior.
Becker: “Best Zverev I’ve ever seen”
Boris Becker spoke at Eurosport about “the best Zverev” he had ever seen. After previously shaky performances Down Under, the German made an impressive statement with the four-set win against Alacaraz.
If he brings the same aggressiveness to the court today in the semi-finals against Medvedev (from 9.30 a.m. CET), Zverev’s first final appearance at the Australian Open could be a success. This would make him only the third German, after Becker and Rainer Schüttler, to achieve this feat. Previously, tournament record winner Novak Djokovic and the Italian Jannik Sinner have already determined the first finalist.
“I’m only in the semifinals, I haven’t won the tournament yet.”
Alexander Zverev
Becker went one step further. “This is how Alexander Zverev wins the Australian Open,” said the former world-class player. And in fact Zverev is a candidate for the title in this form. The performance against the Spanish world number two was his best since the French Open 2022, when he had Rafael Nadal on the verge of defeat in the semi-finals – before the serious foot injury slowed him down. “Back then I was at the top of my tennis,” said Zverev. Now the Olympic champion is getting closer to this status again.
Further information
Alexander “Sascha” Zverev is Germany’s best tennis player. The career of the Olympic champion from Hamburg in pictures. Image gallery
Mainly thanks to hard training work, as the German emphasized again in Melbourne. “Last year’s preparation was about getting my foot back. This time I did a lot of physical work in preparation, I worked on myself,” said Zverev. “From a physical point of view, there is hardly a player who works harder than me.”
“He kicked my ass a lot. But maybe this is the place.”
Zverev about Medvedev
Against his long-term rival Medvedev he will need his fitness and his best tennis. Zverev has a very special rivalry with the Russian. After his round of 16 defeat in Monte Carlo in spring 2023, Zverev described the 2021 US Open champion as “one of the most unfair players in the world” because he had driven him to despair with some psychological games. The Russian countered smugly: “He lives in his own world.” Today Zverev speaks differently about Medvedev again. “He is one of the best players in the world at the moment. But I am happy in my position and will do everything to win the game.”
The two have faced each other 18 times, and last year alone there were six duels – the Russian won five times. “He often spanked my ass. But maybe that’s the place,” said Zverev in Melbourne.
Zverev keeps the ball flat, plagued by blood blisters
In general, the best German tennis player preferred to keep the ball flat after his gala performance against Alcaraz. “I’m only in the semifinals and haven’t won the tournament yet,” said Zverev, who is struggling with painful blood blisters on his feet. So on Thursday there was only light batting practice on the agenda at Melbourne Park. Otherwise, it was all about mental preparation for Medvedev. “There will be things that I don’t like and there will be things that he doesn’t like. That will be part of the match,” said the Olympic champion.
Further information
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Sports current | 01/26/2024 | 9:17 a.m