Melbourne, Jan 27 (IANS) Alexander Zverev moved into his third straight Australian Open semifinal on Tuesday, halting the breakthrough run of American youngster Learner Tien with a victory under the closed roof of Rod Laver Arena.
The German reached his 10th Grand Slam semifinal at the 25th seed’s expense 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, 7-6(3) to set a high-profile clash against either world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz or Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
The world No. 3 leaned heavily on his serve to secure a win, firing 24 aces and saving all three break points he faced, each with unreturned deliveries. One of those clutch serves came at 5-6 in the fourth set, denying Tien a chance to force a decider. Zverev also controlled the short exchanges, winning 106 of the 0–4 shot rallies compared to Tien’s 68.
“The learner from the baseline was playing unbelievably. I don’t think I’ve played anyone who plays that well from the baseline for a very long time. Without my [24] aces, I probably would not have won today. I’m obviously very happy with my serve, just generally happy to be back in the semis,” Zverev said of the 20-year-old after his game, drawing a warm response from the crowd.
Tien, seeded 25th, arrived full of confidence after stunning Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round and showed his resilience by overturning a 3–5 deficit in the second-set tie-break. That surge briefly shifted momentum, but Zverev responded with another dominant serving display to race through the third set and reassert control.
While Tien found success in longer rallies, using sharp angles and consistency rather than outright power, Zverev’s ability to earn free points on serve repeatedly kept the American on the defensive. Those cheap points allowed the German to swing freely on return games and dictate the flow of play.
Zverev ultimately sealed the win in a tense fourth-set tie-break, surging to a 6–0 lead before a rare double fault added a flicker of late drama. It proved only a momentary hiccup, as he closed out the match to reach his 10th Grand Slam semi-final and his first since last year’s Australian Open.
Despite finishing the 2025 season ranked No. 3, Zverev previously described the year as “incredibly unsatisfying” after lifting just one title in Munich. His form in Melbourne, however, including recent wins over Francisco Cerúndolo and Tien, both of whom beat him last season, suggests a player meeting his own exacting standards once again.
–IANS
vi/bc
