Paris:Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev both have been viewed as potential future stars of tennis. Both have come close to Grand Slam titles.
Now the pair of 20-somethings will meet each other for a berth in the French Open final after straight-set quarterfinal victories Tuesday. It will be the youngest matchup in the men's semifinals at Roland Garros since a couple of guys named Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic met in 2008.
The No. 5-seeded Tsitsipas reached his fourth major semifinal and third in a row by upending No. 2 Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-5 at Court Philippe Chatrier in the last no-spectator night session of this year's tournament.
I feel privileged that I'm in that position, and I feel obviously I've put in a lot of daily hard work (that) has been a key element of me being here, Tsitsipas said.
But, you know, my ego tells me I want more.
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He escaped two set points held by two-time Slam runner-up Medvedev at 5-4 in the second, but otherwise required only slightly more work than was demanded of 2020 U.S. Open finalist Zverev in his 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory over 46th-ranked Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
That put No. 6 Zverev in his third career Slam semifinal, first in Paris.
Tsitsipas is a 22-year-old from Greece. Zverev is a 24-year-old from Germany. Both have won Masters 1000 titles on red clay this year. Both have won the season-ending ATP Finals. Both intend to and, truthfully, are expected to claim one of the four biggest prizes in their sport.
Obviously, the Grand Slams are the tournaments that we want to win the most, Zverev said.
Before, maybe, the last few years, I was putting too much pressure on myself. ... Before Medvedev and Tsitsipas arrived, I was seen as this guy that was going to all of a sudden take over the tennis world.
Added Zverev: "I was putting pressure on myself, as well. I was not very patient with myself, which I feel like now, maybe, I learned how to deal with the situation a little bit better.
He showed that quality at a key juncture Tuesday.
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Zverev did not want to believe that Davidovich Fokina had saved a break point with a shot that landed on or was it merely near? a line in the fourth game.
Zverev crouched down near the mark on the red clay and engaged in a bit of an argument with chair umpire Alison Hughes, repeatedly saying, No! and then How? Hughes, whose call was backed up by an unofficial video rendering shown on TV, didn't budge, and Zverev quickly lost that game, then the next one, too, to fall briefly behind. Could have been the start of an unraveling.
Instead, Zverev grabbed 16 of the remaining 19 games.