Alexander Zverev secured a spot in the Australian Open semi-finals for the second consecutive year with a hard-fought 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1 victory over Tommy Paul on Tuesday.
Despite struggling at times in the match, the world number two showed resilience in the tiebreaks to edge past the 12th-seeded American in challenging weather conditions.
Zverev, now in his ninth Grand Slam semi-final, is still chasing his maiden major title.
The German, who previously fell short in the 2020 and 2024 Melbourne semis, will face either Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz in his quest for a place in Sunday’s final.
Reflecting on his performance, Zverev admitted he was fortunate to win the first two sets and was pleased with his strong finish in the fourth. Paul posed a tough challenge, breaking early in the match and forcing Zverev to dig deep.
A bizarre moment occurred when a feather floating across the court led to a controversial replay call, frustrating Zverev.
However, he quickly regained focus, dominating the final set to seal the win with an ace.
