Alexander Zverev to meet Casper Ruud in French Open semi-finals
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Germany's Alexander Zverev will play seventh seed Casper Ruud in the French Open last four, after holder Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the other quarter-final with a knee injury.
PHOTO: AFP
PARIS – Just working hard to the “absolute limit” and only resting when the season is over. That was Alexander Zverev’s mindset as he seeks to win his maiden Grand Slam after coming close on numerous occasions.
The German made it to the French Open semi-finals for the fourth straight time after a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Australian 11th seed Alex de Minaur on June 5.
He also made it to the last four at the Australian Open twice – in 2020 and 2024 – and was the 2020 US Open runner-up and a semi-finalist a year later.
Zverev – on an 11-match winning streak after clinching the Italian Open title in May – will play Casper Ruud on June 7 for a place in the final. The Norwegian seventh seed received a walkover following Novak Djokovic’s injury-enforced withdrawal.
The winner will take on either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in the title-decider on June 9.
“I’m happy to be in another semi-final. Hopefully I can win one,” said the 27-year-old, who defeated 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in the first round of this edition.
Interestingly, the fourth seed was defeated by Ruud in straight sets in the last four last season.
After needing five sets in each of his previous two rounds, Zverev polished off de Minaur inside three hours.
He saved a set point on his serve at 5-6 in the second set and then remarkably won a 39-shot rally to bring up one of his own in the tiebreak, which he sealed at the first opportunity.
The third set was then routine as the world No. 4 sealed the win comfortably.
“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. I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult.”
A serious ankle injury dashed his hopes in his 2022 semi-final against Nadal at Roland Garros as he was forced to retire.
The year before he lost in five sets to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The German is playing under the shadow of an ongoing trial in Berlin over allegations of assaulting a former girlfriend, but has been fully focused on the court.
Meanwhile, de Minaur’s bid to make a first Grand Slam semi-final ended with an eighth defeat in 10 meetings with Zverev.
“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 the 25-year-old, playing just his second quarter-final at a Slam and first in Paris.
He was hoping to become the first Australian man to make the last four in Paris since Pat Rafter in 1997.
“I had my opportunities. Should have probably taken the second set and I think we would have been in for a proper battle,” he added.
“But I left my heart out there, I did everything I could. It wasn’t good enough.” AFP
