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A fantastic journey just doesn’t want to end! Tennis star Alexander Zverev (29) reached the semi-finals Wimbledon reached. He beat his formidable opponent Taylor Fritz (28) 6:4, 6:4, 6:2. After seven straight losses to the American, the Hamburg native can beat him for the first time. The irony of history: two years ago here at Church Road, a negative streak began against the world number seven. Zverev was amazed. In the previous game he suffered a knee injury and lost, not least because of this.
“It’s great. Taylor always beat me for two years. But nothing is ever easy on the tennis court. Unless I’m playing against my five-year-old daughter, then it’s easy for her,” he laughs. “I’m glad I’m still here, a year ago I was already training on hard courts. I’ve waited a long time to get this far here.”
Taylor Fritz (28) had to have his right knee treated in the second set.
Due to tropical temperatures on Court 1, Zverev is a slight favorite against Fritz, who has already played two finals on grass in the last few weeks but lost both in Stuttgart and Halle/Westphalia. Here he is hampered by injury. When the score was 6:4, 1:2 from Zverev’s point of view, Fritz called a physiotherapist who treated his right knee. After that he continued to play.
The French Open winner was already in control of the game under the scorching sun and temperatures above 30 degrees. One break was enough to take the first set 6:4. Fritz then takes a medical break relatively quickly. A little later, Zverev takes his opponent’s serve again, motivates himself with a primal scream and wins the second round with a score of 6:4. Now the two-time world champion is unstoppable. The third set saw another fast break and one more to boot. Less than two hours later, he converted his first match point.
Alexander Zverev will make history again
By the way, Fritz is the first top 10 player whom Zverev beat at Wimbledon. Now unbeaten in twelve Grand Slam matches, the 2021 Olympic champion is just one win away from becoming number two again. But this interests him little. “I already was. My goal is number 1,” he says. By reaching the final, he will displace the injured Carlos Alcaraz (24). To do this, he will have to defeat British newcomer Arthur Fehry (23) on Friday. “It can all be for Feri. It will be an exciting day for both of us. It’s the first time for both of us in the semi-finals. I just need to believe in myself and my tennis,” Zverev said.