3rd set, 5:7, 3:6, 2:2 – Medvedev makes it short again and stays in the game.
3rd set, 5:7, 3:6, 1:2 – Now both of them force themselves to play their best tennis. Stops, volleys – both Zverev and Medvedev get everything out of themselves. It’s a tie several times. In the end the German saves his serve game.
3rd set, 5:7, 3:6, 1:1 – Medvedev now wants to keep the points as short as possible, at least in his own service game. He succeeds. He won’t give up.
3rd set, 5:7, 3:6, 0:1 – Medvedev confirms the impression from the last points: he is injured, waves away, and repeatedly grabs his thigh. This is also why Zverev plays his serve without any problems.
2nd set, 5:7, 3:6 – Alexander Zverev also wins the second set of this semi-final. And that’s completely deserved, he found his line better and better over the course of this round and is the more active player. He comes forward again and makes the most of a difficult shot from Medvedev with a backhand volley. He earns two set points. The Russian fends off the first one, but then hits a forehand way out of bounds. Now Medvedev is complaining.
2nd set, 5:7, 3:5 – Zverev confirms the impression: He is currently the better, more active, more awake. He hits the ball wide, comes forward and scores twice with a volley at the net. Even had the composure to finish the point with a difficult overhead ball. Now Medvedev is serving against losing the second set.
2nd set, 5:7, 3:4 – Medvedev plays his serve game quickly. Zverev can handle it.
2nd set, 5:7, 2:4 – Strong from both – but a little better from Zverev: Medvedev wants to lure him with a stop, but Zverev counters with a forehand longline. Then uses the entire width of the court again, lets Medvedev run and closes the point with a forehand. At the moment he seems fresher, more active and more powerful than the Russian and is the more variable in the rallies.
2nd set, 5:7, 2:3 – Break for the German. Zverev finally moves more easily, more variably, brings in the pace, dares to do something again. At 30:15 he puts an inside-out directly on the line and has break ball. But then he acts unluckily at the net and immediately receives an ace to tie the game. But he then counters with a strong backhand longline, has another break ball – and Medvedev surprises him with a strong stop. Tie again. In the next rally, both come to the net, Zverev is too timid – and is lucky that Medvedev puts the simple ball out of bounds. In the end he takes his opponent’s serve game.
2nd set, 5:7, 2:2 – Zverev tries the offensive again, lets Medvedev run, gets to the net, but can only counter the Russian’s return out of bounds. But then he turns 0:30 to 40:30 and forces Medvedev to make the next mistake with a strong forehand cross.
2nd set, 5:7, 2:1 – Neither of them really finds their rhythm. At 40:15 Medvedev puts a stop in the net, but then Zverev is once again too long. Turns back to his box and complains. Strange match.
2nd set, 5:7, 1:1 – And then he leaves the initiative to Medvedev. Completely unnecessary, sometimes unfocused. Zverev concedes the 30:30, but then throws in a fine forehand volley, a mistake by the Russian then closes the point. Zverev then lets the audience celebrate him.
2nd set, 5:7, 1:0 – There was more in it for Zverev right from the start. He plays more offensively, with more pressure, and sniffs out the next break. But then puts a backhand out again and Medvedev brings his serve through.
1st set, 5:7 – What a match this is! Alexander Zverev takes the first set of this semi-final. And had to work hard for it. Screams in frustration when he throws a backhand out of bounds at 30:15, completely unnecessarily. Then again he is too imprecise with a forehand, he turns away and argues with himself. Medvedev misses the break chance and also pushes a forehand out of bounds. And what does Zverev do? During the next long rally (40 shots!) he doesn’t move forward consistently enough – and hits a volley into the net. But then corrects his mistake in a similar situation in the next rally, fending off Medvedev’s second break ball. Adds a magic stop after another long rally (51 hits!). And ends the first round with another stop at the net, countering a stop by the Russian who had also rushed forward. This first sentence took an hour. Another statistic: There have already been 35 unforced errors in this match: 17 by Medvedev, 18 by Zverev.
1st set, 5:6 – Medvedev seems to want to wear his opponent down with long rallies. But then he gets stuck in the net – and Zverev has the direct chance to break again. Medvedev can still bring back a net roller, but he can no longer match the praise that followed. Now Zverev serves to win the set.
1st set, 5:5 – Zverev gets the next break. These are an enormous number of mistakes, especially from both of them. The German has to go over the second serve several times, Medvedev is time and again too imprecise with his forehand, sometimes he ends up out of bounds, sometimes in the net. Then the next long rally develops, but nobody takes any risks. In the end, Zverev hits a forehand out of bounds at 30:30 – and is then too far with the next shot. Then he argues with his box again, complains and shrugs his shoulders.
1st set, 4:5 – Medvedev doesn’t get anything for free here. He gets through his serve game with difficulty. But that’s not exactly a high level.
1st set, 3:5 – The first high-class rallies develop. Zverev goes on the offensive again, opens up the field, then scores at the net. But can’t settle. Once again one punch is too long, the German is already arguing with his box. It’s about a tie. He gets his serve through with an ace.
1st set, 3:4 – Medvedev shortened the score to 3:4.
1st set, 2:4 – Re-break for Medvedev. A Zverev backhand into the net, then a forehand that is too short – and Medvedev has two break points. The Hamburger fends off the first one, goes to the net offensively and forces the next ball into the net. In the second, however, Zverev misses a forehand.
1st set, 1:4 – And as if to prove it, Medvedev puts a forehand way out of bounds on his own serve. Then Zverev followed up with a forehand winner – but then completely misjudged a Medvedev shot and ran forward far too early. And what is the Russian doing? Immediately makes two double faults. And gets the next break.
1st set, 1:3 – A nice forehand longline to 40:15, then a service winner. Zverev makes the more focused impression at the start.
1st set, 1:2 – Break for Zverev! Is Medvedev nervous after all? He immediately makes his first double fault. Then a backhand is too long. Suddenly Zverev has three break points – and is already using his first. Medvedev lands a forehand in the net.
1st set, 1:1 – Zverev also starts without problems. With a service winner he also ends his serve game to zero.
1st set, 1:0 – Medvedev’s first serve is spot on and he easily gets through his first service game to zero.
Before the match – Medvedev serves first.
Before the match – Both opponents are now getting used to each other. It’s about to start in Melbourne when referee Eva Asderaki-Moore announces “Time”.
Before the match – Zverev enters the court first, then the Russian comes. Both are cheered by the audience in the Rod Laver Arena.
Before the match – Zverev and Medvedev now walk through the catacombs onto the court, passing the corridor in which the winners of recent years are pictured.
Before the match – The tournament is also getting ready for the penultimate men’s match…
Before the match – Zverev’s record against top five players in Grand Slam tournaments is not encouraging: out of eleven matches he was only able to win one.
Before the match – If Zverev manages to win against Medvedev, he would be the third German in the final of the Australian Open. Boris Becker played in the finals in Melbourne in 1991 and 1996 and won both times. In 2003, Rainer Schüttler surprisingly made it to the final, but was clearly defeated by the American Andre Agassi in three sets.