Medvedev Stops Zverev and Advances to Halle Final
Daniil Medvedev thwarted the aspirations of Alexander Zverev, the local favorite, at the Halle Open, securing his place in the final with a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (1), 6-4 victory on Saturday. Medvedev, after squandering three match points on Zverev’s serve in the second set (5-6), needed almost three hours to overcome his former rival and reach his first final in 15 months.Medvedev’s victory over Zverev, the fourth in a row, extended his lead to 13-7 in their head-to-head series. The Russian tennis player will face Alexander Bublik in Sunday’s final, who previously defeated the world number one, Jannik Sinner, in the second round. Bublik, the 2023 champion, achieved 18 aces by defeating Karen Khachanov with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the other semifinal. Medvedev hasn’t played a final since March 2024, when he lost against Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells. Regardless of the final’s outcome, Medvedev will return to the world’s top 10 on Monday. Zverev, who was looking to reach the Halle final for the third time, will have to wait to get his first title on grass.I could have done much better when I had the break in the second set, but it’s normal. The same thing happened in the third set, when I had the break, he started playing better, returning better. I’m happy to have managed to keep my composure in the third set and to have managed to save those break points.
Daniil Medvedev
