Zverev rallies past Fils, reaches Halle SFs

Is this the week Alexander Zverev captures his first grass title?

A two-time Halle finalist, the German is looking to go one step further at the Terra Wortmann Open, where on Friday he rallied past #NextGenATP Arthur Fils 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

The 27-year-old raised his level in the second set, breaking Fils to love at 3-2 amidst a run of winning eight consecutive points. Zverev, seeded second at the ATP 500, took free swings from the baseline and looked for opportunities to charge forward in the latter stages of the match.

With rain falling at the start of the third set, the roof at OWL Arena was closed for the decider. Cheered on by his home crowd, Zverev won 83 per cent of his first-serve points and was not broken across two hours, 30 minutes, improving to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Fils. The Rome champion is yet to be broken this week.

“After the French Open, I was hoping on grass I would play a bit quicker and not play for two-and-a-half, three hours every single match, but I’m continuing what I always do,” the Roland Garros finalist joked. “I’m happy to be winning and be in the semi-finals.”

Zverev, 37-10 on the season, is the first player since Roger Federer (2012-19) to reach back-to-back semi-finals in Halle. Zverev is 18-7 across eight appearances at the German tournament.

Serving into the SF ?@AlexZverev outlasts Fils 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4!@ATPHalle | #TerraWortmannOpen| ?Mathias Schulz pic.twitter.com/r8qb34fYxB

Up next for the 22-time tour-level titlist will be a fourth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting (3-0) with 2022 champion Hubert Hurkacz, who earlier ousted American Marcos Giron 7-6(5), 6-4 after crushing 42 winners, including 11 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Into his third semi-final of the season, the 27-year-old Pole is at a career-high No. 7 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“It’s always great,” Hurkacz said of reaching the last four. “You are getting close to the finishing stages of the tournament and that’s why you go to the tournament, to be in this position. I’m really happy with my performance.”

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