- Mubadala Citi DC Open Men’s and Women’s Tennis Draws and Order Of Play for Saturday, July 27, 2024
- Paris Olympic Tennis Draws and Order Of Play for Saturday, July 27, 2024
- Kitzbuhel Generali Open Draws and Order of Play for Friday, July 26, 2024
- Paris Olympic Tennis Singles and Doubles Draws
- Croatia Open Umag Draws and Schedule for Friday, July 26, 2024
- Atlanta Open Draws and Order of Play for Thursday, July 25, 2024
- Croatia Open Umag Draws and Schedule for Thursday, July 25, 2024
- Laver Cup Tennis 2024 Is in Berlin September 20-22 • Almost all the top men’s players will be playing
- Coco Gauff Named Team USA Flag Bearer for Olympic Games
- Kitzbuhel Generali Open Draws and Order of Play for Wednesday, July 24, 2024
- Croatia Open Umag Draws and Schedule for Wednesday, July 24, 2024
- Atlanta Open Draws and Order of Play for Tuesday, July 23, 2024
- Fils upsets Zverev for Hamburg title, Borges beats Nadal in Bastad
- Kitzbuhel Generali Open Draws and Order of Play for Tuesday, July 23, 2024
- Croatia Open Umag Draws and Schedule for Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Zverev Cruises, Tsitsipas Takes Down Medvedev to Reach French Open Tennis 2021 Semifinals
- Updated: June 8, 2021
![](https://i1.wp.com/www.10sballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ZverevServe-EPA.jpg?w=615&ssl=1)
By Ricky Dimon
Alexander Zverev was one set away from bowing out of the French Open in the first round. Fast forward one week and he now finds himself in the semifinals for the first time in his career.
Since falling into a two-set hole at the hands of fellow German Oscar Otte, Zverev has extended his streak to 15 consecutive sets won by most recently crushing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 during quarterfinal action on Tuesday evening. The world No. 6 got through a roller-coaster first set that featured seven service breaks and then dominated the rest of the way to advance in just one hour and 36 minutes.
“It was obviously nothing that I planned,” Zverev said of going down two sets in his first-round match. “I don’t want to go down two sets to love. But it was nice to come back from that when I needed to. Also my opponent played well. He had three (qualifying) matches before. I’m also somebody that does not necessarily play his best tennis in the first round. I’m somebody that develops my game during the tournament.
![](https://i1.wp.com/www.10sballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/w_56952332-1.jpg?w=615&ssl=1)
“After the first round, it kind of started to go very smoothly. I’m happy about that.”
Interestingly, Stefanos Tsitsipas lost the first two sets of his 2020 French Open campaign and ended up going all the way to the semifinals.
Zverev has accomplished the same feat and will now look to go one step farther, but it is Tsitsipas who stands in his way after the Greek got the best of Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-5 in Tuesday’s nightcap. Previously 1-6 lifetime in the head-to-head series, Tsitsipas scored a much-needed win over his rival and nemesis after two hours and 19 minutes of play.
The world No. 5 for the most part gave Medvedev a clay-court lesson from start to finish, so the outcome probably wouldn’t have changed even if the second seed had forced a third-set tiebreaker.
But he didn’t.
![](https://i1.wp.com/www.10sballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/w_56952671-1.jpg?w=615&ssl=1)
Medvedev’s hopes were dashed when he delivered an underarm serve down match point at 5-6, ad-out, to which Tsitsipas responded by easily blasting a backhand return winner.
And just like that, Tsitsipas is back in the semis. The 22-year-old came within one set of the title match last fall but ended up losing to Novak Djokovic in five. He can reach a Grand Slam final for the first time when he goes up against Zverev on Friday.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.