Alexander Zverev lived life on the edge against Miomir Kecmanovic, but he pulled through to secure the 2023 Chengdu Open semi-final.
It's Sunday, and we had a quarter-final played, which is very unlike the ATP calendar, but that's how it's going to be while we're in China. Events won't necessarily begin on Monday, and they won't finish on Sunday either.
Alexander Zverev hopes to see himself lifting the trophy on Tuesday, and he made a pretty big step towards that by beating Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarter-finals. It was a very complicated match, though, far more complicated than most people would have anticipated, as Kecmanovic was really good.
The first set was a very good one, as both played really well. Zverev served far better, but in rallies, it seemed Kecmanovic was finding the winner more often. He took an early break but got broken, only to break late to clinch the opening set finally.
Zverev needed more to wrestle this match from the Serbian, and he did just that. Opting for a more attacking approach, the German blasted 24 winners in the second set to win it 7-5.
Continued great serving greatly helped in that regard, but we also saw some regression from Kecmanovic, especially towards the end of the second set. The final one opened with an early break from Zverev, who was in full rhythm now.
Not only did he continue to serve well, but he was also amazing from the baseline, and that's the difference. The match winner was always going to be the one who was stronger in the rallies, and Zverev was that player in the second and third sets.
The final score was 5-7 7-5 6-2 for Zverev, who hopes to qualify for the ATP Finals this year. He's in a close battle with several other players and a good run here would do him good.
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