Flawless Zverev cracks Fritz code to reach Wimbledon semi-finals

08 Jul 2026, 16:39 · CNA · Join

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 8, 2026 Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts during his quarter final match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 8, 2026 Taylor Fritz of the U.S. in action during his quarter final match against Germany's Alexander Zverev REUTERS/Toby Melville

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 8, 2026 Germany's Alexander Zverev in action during his quarter final match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

LONDON, July 8 : Alexander Zverev cleared one of the biggest hurdles in his bid for the Wimbledon title by snapping a lengthy losing run against Taylor Fritz with a 6-4 6-4 6-2 win to make the semi-finals and stay on track for back-to-back Grand Slam triumphs.

Having come up short in his last seven clashes with Fritz, including at the All England Club in 2024, French Open champion Zverev finally turned the tables with an assured display for a last-four meeting with Arthur Fery, who beat Flavio Cobolli.

The German second seed rode an early break to a 5-4 lead and let out a roar of relief after fending off a late fightback from Fritz in the 10th game to win the opening set under the blazing sun on Court One.

Zverev turned up the heat again in the next set after Fritz received a medical timeout for a niggling right knee issue after three games, and the 29-year-old celebrated emphatically after seizing a crucial break that left his opponent on the ropes.

CNA Games

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less

The crowd erupted in cheers a few moments later when news trickled in that Briton Fery had gone ahead two sets to love on Centre Court and Zverev soon followed suit with a comfortable hold to move further clear as Fritz's hopes began to fade.

Zverev hit a scintillating backhand winner to seal a double break at 4-1 in the third set, which he closed out with minimum fuss to reach his maiden semi-final at the grasscourt major and 12th overall.

Flawless Zverev cracks Fritz code to reach Wimbledon semi-finals

Recommended Read

Sign up for our newsletters

Get the CNA app