Zverev defeats Van de Zandschulp to advance to US Open semifinals

Alexander Zverev defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the semifinals of the US Open, where he will face Karen Khachanov. Zverev, the 29-year-old French Open champion, noted that he had a slow start to the tournament but has improved his performance. "I think you saw in the first two rounds, I really didn’t play well," Zverev said. He acknowledged that confidence is important in tennis but can be fleeting. Early in the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Zverev struggled with his serve, committing five double faults. However, he broke van de Zandschulp in the fifth game to take the first set. In the second set, van de Zandschulp put up a fight but Zverev managed to win three consecutive games to secure the set. Zverev broke early in the third set and maintained control to win the match. With this victory, Zverev achieved his 23rd Grand Slam match win of the year, surpassing Boris Becker’s record of 22 wins from 1989. He will face Khachanov in a rematch of their gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.