Zverev Overcomes Tommy Paul to Reach Australian Open Semi-finals for Second Consecutive Year

Alexander Zverev reached the Australian Open semi-finals for the second consecutive year, defeating Tommy Paul 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1, and moving one step closer to his maiden Grand Slam title.

Alexander Zverev, the world number two, advanced to the Australian Open semi-finals for the second consecutive year, defeating Tommy Paul 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1 on Tuesday. Zverev's victory brings him closer to his maiden Grand Slam title. Interestingly, his focus was briefly disrupted by a feather during the match.

Zverev's win was marked by his resilience in two tiebreaks, which he dominated on a hot and windy day in Melbourne. The German player has now reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the ninth time. Despite his consistent success, Zverev has yet to claim a Grand Slam title, having lost in the semi-finals in 2020 to Dominic Thiem and in 2023 to Daniil Medvedev.

Zverev acknowledged that he was fortunate to have won the match, stating, “To be honest, I should have been down two sets to love.” He is now one step away from reaching the Australian Open final, where he hopes to overcome his past disappointments and claim his first Grand Slam title. If successful, Zverev would become the first German man to win a Slam since Boris Becker in 1996.

To achieve his goal, Zverev will need to overcome either 10-time Melbourne winner Novak Djokovic or Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. The winner of that match will face Zverev on Sunday, with a place in the Australian Open final at stake.

Alexander Zverev reflected on his victory over Tommy Paul, acknowledging that he didn't play his best tennis. “I was not playing great, and I thought he was,” Zverev said. Despite this, he managed to win the first two sets, which proved crucial in the outcome of the match. Zverev added, “But I somehow won the first set, somehow won the second.”

Zverev's performance improved significantly in the fourth set, which he described as his best tennis of the match. “And the fourth set was definitely the best that I played and obviously extremely happy to be back in the semi-finals,” he said. This victory marked Zverev's return to the Australian Open semi-finals for the second consecutive year.

The match against Paul was closely contested, with the American earning the first break of the match in game five. However, Zverev responded strongly, holding serve and eventually taking the set to a tiebreaker. Paul created opportunities to take the set, including three break points at 5-5, but Zverev saved two of them. Although Paul converted the third break point, Zverev quickly regained his composure and struck back to force a tiebreaker.

Sascha Surges On ⚡️

Alexander Zverev advances to his third AO semifinal following a 7-6(1) 7-6(0) 2-6 6-1 win over Tommy Paul! 🇩🇪@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/PM7hKQ4f6j

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2025

In the tiebreaker, Zverev dominated, while Paul became increasingly frustrated. A disputed let call sparked Paul's anger, and he argued with the umpire. Zverev, meanwhile, remained focused and took advantage of Paul's frustration to win the tiebreaker and eventually the match.

Tommy Paul regained his composure and broke Alexander Zverev to take a 3-0 lead in the second set, capped off by a impressive backhand winner. However, Zverev's frustration grew when a feather floated onto the court, prompting the umpire to call for a replay on break point. Zverev reacted angrily, shouting, “C'mon, that is unbelievable on break point.” Despite his frustration, Zverev managed to compose himself and broke back to love, eventually forcing another tiebreaker.

Back-to-back AO semifinals for Sascha 👏#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/afzPmIN1OC

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2025

In the tiebreaker, Paul's struggles continued, and Zverev took advantage to win the set. However, Paul rebounded in the third set, breaking Zverev early and again for a 5-3 lead as the German's serve faltered. Paul's momentum carried him through to take the set and force a fourth. Nevertheless, Zverev regained his footing in the fourth set, capitalizing on Paul's errors to take a 2-0 lead.

As Paul's energy waned, Zverev sensed victory and surged ahead, racing to a 5-0 lead. Paul was unable to recover, and Zverev sealed the win with an ace on his third match point, advancing to the Australian Open semi-finals.