Alexander Zverev raised concerns about his fitness after defeating Ben Shelton at the Cincinnati Open ahead of a crucial encounter against Carlos Alcaraz. The German got the better of the fifth-seeded American in straight sets but felt uncomfortable after the first.
On August 15, a high-octane showdown was expected to take place in the quarterfinal of the Cincinnati Open between power-hitting players Zverev and Shelton. However, the German cruised past Shelton in one hour and 19 minutes to register a 6-2, 6-2 triumph.
After the match, during a post-match interview, the World No. 3 raised concerns about his fitness. He explained how he felt great before taking to the courts against Shelton, but midway through the match started feeling uncomfortable.
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"Right now I’m not feeling too great, we’ll see I have a day to get fresh and to hopefully feel 100% again. I’m not sure what happened, I came out today and probably felt the best I did in a few months... End of the first set started feeling not so great and got progressively worse," Alexander Zverev said.
He assured that he would do everything he could to regain full fitness before facing World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal.
Alexander Zverev leads the head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz ahead of the Cincinnati Open SF
Alexander Zverev breezed into the Cincinnati Open semi-finals with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ben Shelton. He ended Shelton’s impressive nine-match win streak and has now won 16 of his last 18 matches at this venue.
Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, won a brutal battle with Andrey Rublev 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to make the semis. It was a gritty display of mental strength. Amid sweltering Ohio heat, the Spaniard won the match in two hours and 17 minutes, and extended his streak at Masters 1000 events to 15 straight wins.
These two now meet for the 12th time on tour, with Zverev holding a narrow 6-5 edge in their rivalry. He also claimed their most recent clash, winning 7-6(5), 6-4 at the Nitto ATP Finals. On hard courts, the German has been even more dominant, leading Alcaraz 5-2.
This promises to be a thriller if both men remain in their peak fitness. The winner will have to be sharp both physically and mentally to make it through to the final. The other semifinal will pit World No. 1 Jannik Sinner against the surprise French qualifier Terence Atmane.
