Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev at Roland-Garros, securing his spot in a highly anticipated semi-final against Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic, aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, dropped the opening set but eventually outlasted Zverev in a compelling match in Paris, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
The 38-year-old Serb made history as the oldest French Open semi-finalist in 57 years. He is set to face top seed Sinner on Friday, who earlier advanced with a comfortable straight-sets win over Alexander Bublik.
Both players have had mixed form since their last Grand Slam meeting in the Australian Open semi-finals in January.
Djokovic retired from that Australian Open match due to a hamstring injury, while Zverev was defeated by Sinner in the final and subsequently sought to regain his top form.
However, both players secured clay-court titles just before Roland-Garros and quickly showcased their best tennis during Wednesday`s evening match.
Third seed Zverev began strongly, breaking the sixth-seeded Djokovic in the very first game.
The German saved a break point during a demanding rally at 4-3 before claiming the opening set.
Djokovic displayed characteristic composure despite Zverev`s powerful strokes. He broke early in the second set and then saved a break point in the following game to build a 4-1 lead.
While exciting rallies continued, Zverev`s performance dipped in the third set. Djokovic capitalised by employing effective drop shots, breaking his opponent`s serve twice to take the lead in sets.
Zverev lost his serve again in the first game of the fourth set, but managed to stage a brief comeback attempt midway through the set.
At 2-4, Zverev earned a break point, but an epic 41-shot rally concluded with a winning passing shot from Djokovic.
Credit to Zverev, he saved four match points while Djokovic served for the win. However, Zverev couldn`t create another break point chance, and the three-time French Open champion eventually clinched the victory after three hours and 20 minutes.
Djokovic commented: “My playing style relies heavily on running, but at my age, it`s not as easy to cover so much ground. I tried to dictate the pace using a few drop shots.”
“Nights like tonight are one of the reasons I continue to play.”
In the other men`s semi-final on Friday, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will play Lorenzo Musetti. The women`s semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday.
Sinner Dominates Bublik to Reach Semi-Final
Jannik Sinner delivered a near-perfect performance, continuing his strong bid for a maiden Roland-Garros title. He secured an efficient 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 victory against the Kazakh player Alexander Bublik, known for his showmanship, who had previously defeated Jack Draper.
This victory makes Sinner the first Italian man to reach six Grand Slam semi-finals. It extends his winning streak at majors to 19 matches, building on his triumph at the Australian Open in January.
“I`m very happy with my journey to the semi-finals. Playing in Grand Slam semi-finals is always special, and I`m really looking forward to it,” Sinner stated.
“We`ve played each other a few times before, so we had some idea of what to expect,” Sinner said about facing Bublik. “However, in other ways, you never know how he`s going to play. I focused on my own game. I aimed to play as consistently as possible because he can have fluctuations in his performance, so I needed to maintain a steady level throughout the match.”
Sinner, with a current season record of 17-1, joins his fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the final four.
This marks the first occasion in the Open Era that two Italian men have reached the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam tournament. The only previous instance was in 1960, when Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola reached the last four in Paris.
