Alexander Zverev’s hopes for quicker matches on grass have been dashed. The No. 4-ranked player battled back to defeat 20-year-old Arthur Fils in a grueling 2 1/2-hour encounter, securing his place in the semifinals of the Halle Open. Zverev, who is still seeking his first grass-court title, had hoped to make swift work of his opponents after the marathon matches he experienced at the French Open, where he lost a five-set thriller to Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
“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,” Zverev joked. Zverev, seeded second in the tournament, needed three sets to overcome qualifier Oscar Otte in the first round before eliminating Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets. The 22-time tour title winner will now face Hubert Hurkacz, who defeated Marcos Giron 7-6 (5), 6-4. In other quarterfinals later on Friday, top-seed Jannik Sinner was set to take on Jan-Lennard Struff, while Zhang Zhizhen was scheduled to play Christopher Eubanks.
