Alexander Zverev’s first quest for the Grass Court title made an unexpected turn at the Halle Open on Friday.
Zverev broke into the match with his front paws in the first game, but as he was serving in the second game, he bolted the tunnel by demanding a toilet break.
Once he returned, Zverev struggled with strength at first, apparently looking ill, bent over and over again after the point, breathing after the marathon rally.
“I felt good before the match. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, I was really, really sick. I got sick, went to throw and after 15 minutes I felt OK again,” Zverev said.
“I don’t know what it is. I’ve never experienced it before. I think it’s okay in the next few hours when the adrenaline settles. After that, I think it was a pretty good match.”
Zverev was not near 100%, but he slowly drew energy reserves and fired the first ace of the match at the set point.
The second set was an even contest as Koboli relied on his move to keep Zverev plaguing, but the Germans ultimately won with a close tiebreak, finishing the match with 22 winners and 12 points net.
In the semi-finals, Zverev will face Russia’s third seed Danil Medvedev.
“I think he’s the guy I’ve played the most in my career, and I’m looking forward to it,” Zverev added.
“A lot has happened over the last 18 months. He is one of my toughest enemies in my career. It will be a great match and I am really looking forward to facing him.”
Medvedev moved to the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over American Alex Michaelsen, despite suffering from a nosebleed in the second set that forced the runner-up of Halle to get a medical timeout.
However, the Russians denied the opponent the opportunity for one breakpoint and got caught up in the contest in 85 minutes as they reached the final four without dropping the set.
“The shadow of the court made the conditions very difficult. It took some time to get used to. It was better in the second set,” said Medvedev, who returned to the top 10 above Wimbledon.
Another semi-final features 2023 champion Alexander Bublik, who knocked out last year’s winner Jannik Sinner in the previous round.
Bublik fired 37 winners in a 7-6(2)6-3 victory over Tomas Machac and hit a pass shot that was unconscious to entertain the crowd as he fired a backhand that burned the line at match points and advanced.
“I served well and came back well. I’m happy I saved a little energy,” Bublik said.
