Men’s Semifinal: [3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [22] Hyeon Chung (KOR)
Chung led their head-to-head 2:0 coming into this meeting and looked destined to make it 3:0 after he broke the German in his first service game; however, Zverev was determined to change the statistics.
Zverev worked hard to break back and was clearly frustrated by his play; however, he was rewarded in the fifth game when Chung double faulted to give him the break. Zverev broke again at love and served for the first set at 5-4; yet, Chung would not go down without a fight. Perhaps the memory of his 0-2 history against his opponent crept into the German’s head and he lost his serve. Not deterred by his lapse in concentration, Zverev promptly broke his opponent again to take the lead once more. This time, he was more prepared mentally to hold on to the lead and win the first set. It was not easy though as Chung challenged him on every point and had several opportunities to break back and level the match.
With the first set under his belt, the German relaxed and started playing with more conviction. Chung on the other hand seemed to lose his focus after dropping the first set and Zverev broke him in two consecutive service games to take control of the second set. Despite the lead, Zverev could not be cavalier as Chung was relentless in his determination to get back in the set and the match. However, in the end, Zverev prevailed to get the 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Men’s Semifinal: [34] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. [73] Maximilian Marterer (GER)
Not accustomed to being this deep in a match, Marterer got off to an anxious start from which he was unable to recover. He started off a bit better in the second set; yet, nerves came into play once he got the lead. Kohlschreiber the more experienced veteran knew it was only a matter of time before he regained control and he did to win 6-2, 6-4. He will play Zverev in the final and although he lost their last encounter, he won their only encounter on clay. Yet, Zverev is a much improved player since then and he will want to exact a bit of revenge.
SOURCE OF IMAGES: serveandrally (Philipp Kohlschreiber); Zimbio.com (Alexander Hassenstein/GI Europe: Alexander Zverev)
