Alexander Zverev delivered a performance befitting a man on his way to World No. 1 on Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he eased past his Top-10 rival Alex de Minaur to reach the semi-finals.
The top-seeded Zverev claimed a 6-4, 6-4 triumph against World No. 9 De Minaur to reach his third Shanghai semi-final, and his first since 2019. The German, who has already secured ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, served big and struck his groundstrokes with intent throughout his 78-minute victory against De Minaur inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.
“I think it was a huge step up,” Zverev who could rise to World No. 1 for the first time as early as 2 November, said after his win. “I don’t know what the numbers were, but from playing the match and just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well. I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast and he loves this kind of court speed here. I felt good and I’m happy with the step up from the past couple of matches.”
After sealing the only break of the first set with a huge forehand winner at 2-2, 0/40, Zverev saved three break points to hold for 4-2. He served out the set with no further troubles, and then swung the momentum decisively in his favour again in the second set: The German saved two break points to hold serve for 3-3, and then promptly broke De Minaur in the next game to set himself on course for victory.
The top seed finished the match having won 80 per cent (35/44) of points behind his first serve, while he also sent down 10 aces. Now 9-4 ahead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with De Minaur, the Roland Garros and US Open champion Zverev later reflected on whether his guaranteed rise to World No. 1 has ‘released the handbrake’ for him in Shanghai.
“I feel like I’ve been handling pressure quite okay this year," he said. "In a way you play a bit more relaxed, but I don’t think about it that way. Once Jannik unfortunately announced he won’t play for the rest of the year, I’m 4,000 points ahead of everyone else, so I trust myself enough that I’m going to win [enough matches].
“So I wasn’t too worried about that, but I think every tournament that I’ve played this year, I had to find my range and rhythm in the first couple of matches. I feel like I did that well here and now I’m going into the semi-finals.”
Now 62-14 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Zverev will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a championship-match spot in Shanghai. The 25th-seeded Spaniard earlier advanced to his fourth Masters 1000 semi-final after Arthur Gea retired from the pair’s quarter-final encounter due to injury.
Davidovich Fokina had led Gea 4-1 in the opening set of their first tour-level meeting, but the Frenchman was unable to continue due to a psoas injury he later explained occurred earlier that day in Shanghai.
"I tried from the beginning but it was not enough to play full,” Gea said. “It would have been too dangerous for the end of the season, so I couldn't continue. Of course, I'm really sad but it's the best choice I could do.”
Meanwhile Davidovich Fokina will head into Saturday’s semi-finals well rested, having pulled through deciding-set tie-breaks to outlast Frances Tiafoe and Hubert Hurkacz in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.
"I feel sorry for him, but I'm happy to be in the next round,” the Spaniard said. “I've been on court a lot of time, and my body has to recover. I'm blessed that I have two days more to recover better my body.”
