Alexander Zverev powered into his third US Open semifinal with a commanding 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp on Arthur Ashe Stadium Wednesday night. The German top seed controlled the match from the baseline, weathering a brief challenge in the second set before pulling away decisively.
Zverev will face unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov in Friday's semifinals. The 29-year-old German, who reached the US Open final in 2020, has now made the semifinals in New York three times in his career.
The match started as a showcase of Zverev's baseline dominance. He immediately looked to dictate with his serve and groundstrokes, forcing van de Zandschulp deep behind the baseline and making the Dutchman work for every opportunity. After the opening games remained relatively even, Zverev found the first breakthrough and quickly turned it into a commanding advantage.
Van de Zandschulp, who had reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal after impressive victories over Alex de Minaur and Arthur Gea, struggled to deal with the weight and consistency of Zverev's baseline game. The German kept finding the court with his first-strike tennis while limiting free points for his opponent. Once ahead, Zverev closed out the opening set 6-2.
Van de Zandschulp's brief resistance
The second set told a different story. Van de Zandschulp raised his level and managed to stay with Zverev through the middle stages, keeping his serve protected and preventing the top seed from establishing another early lead.
Zverev remained patient, continuing to wait for his opportunity. The decisive passage arrived late in the set when, after saving a break point on his own serve, the German immediately put pressure on van de Zandschulp and earned the break to move ahead 6-5. He then served out the set to take a two-set lead.
That second-set breakthrough proved to be the turning point. Zverev came out aggressively in the third set and quickly opened up a commanding lead, while van de Zandschulp was unable to reproduce the consistency that had kept the previous set competitive.
The top seed continued to dictate from the baseline, dropping just one game to close out the victory and book his place in the final four. His efficient performance showcased the form that has made him one of the tournament favorites.
Zverev's semifinal opponent Khachanov also advanced Wednesday, setting up what promises to be an intriguing clash between two players seeking their first US Open title. For Zverev, it represents another chance to capture the major championship that has so far eluded him despite reaching multiple Grand Slam finals.
