Melbourne: Alexander Zverev marched into his third consecutive Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday, bringing an end to Learner Tien’s career-best Grand Slam run with a hard-fought four-set victory in Melbourne.
The third seed prevailed 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1, 7-6(3) in a match played under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena due to extreme heat, keeping alive his pursuit of a maiden major title. Zverev, who reached his third Grand Slam final at Melbourne Park last year, once again showcased his growing consistency on the sport’s biggest stage.
The German was dominant on serve throughout the contest, firing 24 aces and saving all three break points he faced with unreturned deliveries. One of those proved crucial, coming as a set point against him at 5-6 in the fourth set. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Zverev also controlled the shorter rallies, winning 106 exchanges of four shots or fewer compared to Tien’s 68.
Tien, fresh off a stunning fourth-round upset of Daniil Medvedev, showed remarkable composure and resilience. The American briefly threatened another shock when he won four consecutive points from 3-5 down to claim the second-set tie-break. However, Zverev responded emphatically, tightening his service games and racing through the third set to reassert control.
While Tien found success in extended rallies, using precision and court width to counter Zverev’s power, the free points on the German’s serve ultimately proved decisive. Zverev repeatedly applied pressure on return, forcing his opponent into demanding exchanges.
Despite finishing the 2025 season ranked No. 3, Zverev had previously labelled the year “incredibly unsatisfying” after capturing just one title in Munich. This fortnight in Melbourne, however, the 28-year-old has been operating at his highest level, following up a strong win over Francisco Cerundolo with another composed Grand Slam performance.
Now into his 10th Grand Slam semi-final — and his first since last year’s Australian Open — Zverev will next face the winner of Tuesday night’s quarter-final clash between World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Australian favourite Alex de Minaur.
Source: ATP
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