US Open 2020: Alexander Zverev through to first US Open semi-final after defeating Borna Coric (Report)

Alexander Zverev will play in the US Open semi-final for the first time in his career after he saw off Borna Coric in four sets. The will also makes him the first German men’s US Open semi-finalist since Boris Becker in 1995.

The German survived a nervy encounter to reach his second Grand Slam semi-final this year with a 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 victory after almost three-and-a-half hours.

The decisive moment of the match that rarely reached the heights came in the fourth set when Zverev saved four break points before breaking Coric and ultimately serving out as he took the match.

Watch the match highlights below…

Zverev acknowledges he “just started playing a little bit more aggressive, because if I had played the way I (started), it’s not the level for a quarter-final game in a Grand Slam.

“I had to start playing better and I was a little bit more consistent, my serve got better, and I thought to myself, I’m down 6-1 6-2, I had nothing to lose in that moment.

Coric wrapped up the first set after only 24 minutes as he made a flying start to the match, and he took advantage of 12 unforced errors from a flat Zverev.

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But Zverev fought back and hard in the second set as he came back from a breakdown and overcame four double-faults and 15 unforced errors to level the match by winning the tie-break.

The German got all fired-up and despite having to trade early breaks with Coric, he twice had to serve to stay in the set before going on to cruise through another tie-break.

He then had to save four break points in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead and then ensured there were to be no repeat heroics from Coric as a below-par Zverev finally got the job done.

Zverev’s win against Coric makes him the first German player to reach the semi-finals of the men’s singles at the US Open since Boris Becker, who reached the last four in 1995 where he was beaten by Andre Agassi.

“It’s great to be in the semi-finals and unfortunately we haven’t been there in 25 years for a German player,” Zverev says, “but there will be many more after me and hopefully I can continue the way I’m going.”