NEW YORK (Reuters) – German fifth seed Alexander Zverev survived a stern test of nerves to reach his second Grand Slam semi-final this year with a 1-6 7-6(5) 7-6(1) 6-3 victory over Croatian Borna Coric at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.
After a slow start, Zverev raised his game as the match wore on and showed more poise in the crucial moments against the 27th seed to become the first German to reach the last four at the U.S. Open since Boris Becker in 1995.
Coric made a flying start to the match and needed only 24 minutes to wrap up the first set during which he took advantage of 12 unforced errors from a flat Zverev.
But the German showed plenty of fight in the second set as he came back from a break down and overcame four double-faults and 15 unforced errors to level the match by winning the tiebreak before unleashing an extended roar.
A fired-up Zverev was put to the test again in a pressure-packed third set where, after trading early breaks with Coric, he twice had to serve to stay in the set before going on to cruise through another tiebreak.
Zverev opened the fourth set in emphatic fashion as he sent a volley past Coric to take the opening game to love. He saved four break points in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead and then broke for a 5-3 cushion that sent him on his way to victory.
Up next for Zverev, who reached his first career Grand Slam semi-final at this year’s Australian Open, will be either Canadian Denis Shapovalov or Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Ken Ferris)
