Australian Open: Alexander Zverev eclipses Boris Becker feat as Grand Slam quest continues

Alexander Zverev battled his way into a third Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday – breaking a Boris Becker record in the process.
Having previously reached the last four in both 2020 and 2024, the second seed battled past US No 2 Tommy Paul 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1 to return for the third time.
It was not a straightforward match for Zverev, who was down in the first and second sets. Paul served for both sets before the German roared back in two dominant tiebreaks.
“To be honest, I should have been down two sets to love,” said Zverev.
“He served (for) both of those sets. He played better than me – I was not playing great and I thought he was.
“I somehow won the first set, somehow won the second set, [then] I’m up two sets to love all of a sudden and I only need one more set. The fourth set was definitely the best that I’ve played and I’m obviously extremely happy to be back in the semi-finals.”
Zverev eclipses Becker milestone
Tuesday’s win was the 30th in Melbourne for Zverev, who made his Australian Open debut in 2016.
Roland Garros (34) is the only Grand Slam where the 27-year-old has picked up more match wins, and he has now eclipsed Becker’s Australian Open feat.
Former world No 1 Becker won 29 matches in Melbourne, the record for any German man at the tournament – with Zverev now the first to hit 30.
In terms of titles won, this was Becker’s most successful Slam outside of Wimbledon, lifting the title in 1991 and 1996.
He defeated Ivan Lendl to win his first title, before downing Michael Chang in the final five years later – his last Grand Slam title, and last final.
Behind Zverev and Becker, the next best German at the Australian Open is former world No 2 Tommy Haas, who achieved 26 match wins Down Under – reaching three semi-finals.
He is then followed by Philipp Kohlschreiber (23), and then former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich and Nicolas Kiefer (16).
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Semi-final milestone
Zverev is now in his ninth Grand Slam semi-final, having made the last four at a major for the first time at this very event back in 2020.
Alongside his three Australian Open semi-finals, he is a four-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros – reaching the final last season – and is twice a semi-finalist at the US Open, making the final in 2020.
Since Zverev reached his first Grand Slam semi-final five years ago, only Novak Djokovic (13) has made it to the last four of more Grand Slam tournaments.
However, Zverev has yet to break his duck at majors and win his first Slam.
His haul of nine semi-finals is now the most of any man who has never lifted a Grand Slam title in the Open Era, moving head of Tony Roche (8).
The German will face third seed Carlos Alcaraz or seventh seed Novak Djokovic in Friday’s semi-final.
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