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Zverev to play Shelton in Stuttgart semis / Photo: Thibaud MORITZ - AFP
Zverev to play Shelton in Stuttgart semis
Top seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the semi-finals on home grass at the Stuttgart Open on Friday to set up a meeting with American Ben Shelton for a place in the final.
The second semi-final in the Wimbledon warm-up tournament features American Taylor Fritz and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Zverev hit 31 winners to 20 unforced errors to get past 31st-ranked American Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-4 for the fourth time in as many meetings.
The world number three was pushed hard in the first set, but seized his first break opportunity for 6-5, and closed it out on his serve.
A break in the fifth game put Zverev 3-2 ahead in the second and he wrapped up the tie after an hour and a half, largely thanks to a very efficient serve.
To reach his third final in 2025, after winning in Munich and losing at the Australian Open, Zverev will have to overcome Shelton, who lost only four points on his serve -- out of 44 played -- to sweep past Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4.
Fritz, the world number seven, beat Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4 with a break in each set enough to see him through as he bids for a first ATP final of the season.
Three of Fritz's eight titles are on grass and he will next face Auger-Aliassime who ended the impressive run of 17-year-old German Justin Engel 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
C.Milbrandt--BlnAP
