US Open: Zverev breaks Becker’s record to sail into SFs

New York, Sep 10 (IANS) Alexander Zverev booked his place in the US Open semi-finals for the third time in his career on Thursday (IST) when he downed Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1.

Moreover, the German advanced to his fourth major semifinal of the season and the 13th of his career. The top seed, who won his first major crown at Roland Garros this year, leads the ATP Tour with 51 match wins this season. The 29-year-old’s 23 major match wins this season are the most by a German man in a single season, surpassing Boris Becker’s 22 in 1989.

Zverev is the lone remaining player in the men’s singles draw with a Grand Slam title to his name.

Zverev started slow in this quarterfinal, with his serve betraying him to the tune of five double faults in the first set. But it mattered little as he overwhelmed the Dutchman by riding two service breaks to an effortless first-frame win.

In the second set, Zverev quickly consumed the third set, spitting out another Grand Slam victory, a feat he has achieved regularly this year. more competitive as van de Zandschulp took advantage of Zverev’s ho-hum tennis, seizing two late break points and coming within two points of knotting the score. But van de Zandschulp couldn’t convert on his conservative baseline approach, and Zverev upended the uprising by holding serve.

The third set was quickly consumed, with Zverev spitting out another Grand Slam victory, something that has happened with regularity this year.

With his latest victory, Zverev became the ninth different man in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals at all four majors in a season. Zverev began this Grand Slam season by reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open. He won Roland Garros in a five-set final against Flavio Cobolli and made the Wimbledon final, only falling to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

–IANS

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