In a rematch of the 2020 Paris Masters final Alexander Zverev turned the tides on his rival – and snapped a personal five-match losing streak against him – to earn his spot in the semifinals.
Zverev defeated Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), saving a pair of match points to win a tense, dramatic affair that had something for everyone.
There was a Halloween scare late in the opening set, with Zverev taking a tumble and Medvedev coming to his aid (see the injury, and aftermath, below).
There were two match points saved by Zverev late in the third, at 4-5.
“The thing I’m most pleased with is the match points saved, the way I continued being brave and in the important moments, winning the match myself,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.
And there were the usual long, dramatic, back-and-forth rallies that these two baseliners favor, each winning their fair share.
Medvedev seemed well on his way to a sixth consecutive win over Zverev, leading by a set and a break, but he lost control of the match when Zverev broke back immediately to level for 1-all in the second set. From there his mood soured, and eventually Zverev pushed through to force a decider, breaking for 5-3 and serving out the set at love.
After another trade of breaks in the third, Zverev had to wiggle out of grave danger before finally claiming the hard-fought win in the breaker. His second-serve on Medvedev’s second match point barely trickled over the net, but the German powered a big backhand crosscourt to eventually win the point, before holding serve for 5-all.
In the end it was Zverev capturing victory for the eighth time in 22 meetings against Medvedev. The defending champion stretches his Paris winning streak to eight, but his life will not get easier on Saturday, as he faces Jannik Sinner for a spot in the final.
The pair have split their four meetings, with Sinner winning over Zverev in last week’s Vienna final, 7-5 in the third.
From one challenge to the next, Zverev is happy to be still alive in Paris, and gaining in confidence as he goes.
“Daniil is kind of my kryptonite, I don’t like playing him,” Zverev said. “He’s somebody who has had my number for the last couple of years. I’m very pleased with the win for sure. Against Jannik, we had a fantastic match last Sunday. I’m happy to be on court with him again. Hopefully we share another great match.”
