Germany’s Alexander Zverev produced a commanding performance to defeat Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 and advance to the semifinals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Thursday.
The top-seeded Zverev needed 78 minutes to overcome the ninth-ranked De Minaur at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, securing his third semifinal appearance at the tournament and his first since 2019.
Zverev’s powerful serving and aggressive baseline play proved decisive against De Minaur, who struggled to find a way past the German’s consistent groundstrokes.
The German won 80 per cent of points behind his first serve and struck 10 aces during the contest. The victory also extended his head-to-head advantage over De Minaur to 9-4.
Reflecting on his performance, Zverev said he was pleased with the improvement in his game after the opening rounds of the tournament.
“I think it was a huge step up,” he said, adding that he felt he had outplayed De Minaur from the baseline despite the Australian’s speed and ability to handle the court conditions.
Zverev also addressed the prospect of reaching the World No. 1 position, saying he had been comfortable managing the pressure throughout the season and was focused on maintaining his rhythm.
The German, who has enjoyed a strong campaign, will next face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a place in the championship match.
Davidovich Fokina advanced to his fourth ATP Masters 1000 semifinal after France’s Arthur Gea retired from their quarterfinal encounter due to a psoas injury. The Spaniard was leading 4-1 in the opening set when Gea was forced to withdraw.
