Alexander Zverev on Wednesday made an emotional return to the French Open semi-finals, one year after a horror ankle injury sent his career into a tailspin, while Iga Swiatek set up a last-four clash with Brazilian trailblazer Beatriz Haddad Maia.
German world No. 27 Zverev claimed a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina and faces Casper Ruud for a place in Sunday’s final.
It is to be Zverev’s sixth Grand Slam semi-final and is to be played on the same Philippe Chatrier Court where he sustained torn ankle ligaments against Rafael Nadal 12 months ago.
Photo: AFP
Ranked No. 3 in the world at the time, the sobbing, screaming Zverev was taken off court in a wheelchair and was out of action until January.
“That was the most difficult year of my life,” 26-year-old Zverev said. “I love playing tennis, and the sport and competition were taken away from me.”
“I am so happy to be back on this stage and happy to be able to have another chance to play for a place in the final,” he said.
On Wednesday, Olympic champion and 2020 US Open runner-up Zverev broke in the seventh game of the first set and saved two break points in the eighth before going on to pocket the opener.
Etcheverry, ranked No. 49 and in the quarter-finals at a major for the first time, leveled the tie and was quickly 2-0 up in the third set, but Zverev reeled off five games in a row before clinching the third set and then grabbed the key break to edge ahead 4-3 in the fourth.
Ruud defeated Holger Rune 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 for a fifth win in six meetings against the Dane.
“I kind of looked at it as though he was the favorite — he won the last time we played and he’s had a better year than me so far,” said Ruud, who lost to Rune on clay in Rome last month.
Ruud is the in-form clay-court player with 86 wins on the surface since 2020.
In the women’s singles, world No. 1 and defending champion Swiatek, chasing a third title at Roland Garros, brushed aside 19-year-old Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 in a rematch of last year’s final.
Swiatek improved her record in Paris to 26-2 after beating the American for the seventh time in as many meetings.
The 22-year-old from Poland was to play Haddad Maia after press time last night.
“It wasn’t easy, the first set was really tight. Coco was really using the conditions, so I was happy to be able to work on it and win this match,” said Swiatek, who had yet to drop a set at the tournament.
On losing seven out of seven to the Pole, Gauff said: “It sucks.”
The other women’s singles semi-final was to be played between Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
If Sabalenka makes the final, Swiatek would have to win the title to retain her top ranking.
In the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Wang Xinyu of China defeated Russian pair Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2, but Taylor Townsend of the US and Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez eliminated Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching 6-3, 6-3.
Hsieh and Wang earned a semi-final against Ellen Perez of Australia and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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