Zverev Reaches his 4th Consecutive French Open Semifinal

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2024 Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Australia's Alex De Minaur REUTERS/Yves Herman
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2024 Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Australia's Alex De Minaur REUTERS/Yves Herman
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Zverev Reaches his 4th Consecutive French Open Semifinal

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2024 Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Australia's Alex De Minaur REUTERS/Yves Herman
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 5, 2024 Germany's Alexander Zverev celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Australia's Alex De Minaur REUTERS/Yves Herman

Alexander Zverev beat Alex de Minaur 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Wednesday night to reach the French Open semifinals for the fourth year in a row.
Zverev extended his current winning streak to 11 matches, including a title on clay at the Italian Open last month, and his victory over the 11th-seeded de Minaur at Court Philippe Chatrier moves him into a matchup against two-time Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud on Friday.
The other men’s semifinal Friday is No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, against No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who owns two major trophies. None of the four men left in the bracket has ever won the French Open, and this will be the first title match in Paris since 2004 without at least one of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.
The women's semifinals Thursday are No. 1 Iga Swiatek vs. No. 3 Coco Gauff, followed by No. 12 Jasmine Paolini vs. 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Djokovic was the defending men's champion but withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday because of an injured right knee, allowing the man he was supposed to play in the quarterfinals, Ruud, to advance.
Djokovic will be replaced by Sinner at No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday.
Zverev is trying to win his first Grand Slam title. So is No. 7 Ruud, who lost in the finals at Roland Garros in 2022 (to Nadal) and 2023 (to Djokovic) and at the U.S. Open in 2022 (to Alcaraz).
“I’m happy to be in another semifinal,” said Zverev, who is 0-3 at that stage in Paris. “Hopefully, I can win one.”
He lost to Dominic Thiem in the final of the 2020 US.Open and won a gold medal in singles at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
After eliminating 14-time champion Nadal in the first round, Zverev was coming off a pair of five-setters in the third and fourth rounds. This victory was far less complicated, although it could have been far more difficult than it was: de Minaur was one point from tying things at a set apiece while Zverev served down 6-5 in the second.
But Zverev fought that off. In the ensuing tiebreaker, de Minaur pulled out to a 4-0 lead, before Zverev collected seven of the next eight points.
The third set appeared to shift Zverev's way for good when de Minaur double-faulted to get broken and fall behind 4-2, The Associated Press reported. When Zverev served for the victory at 5-3, however, de Minaur used a delicate drop volley to break and extend the match. It wouldn't last much longer, because Zverev broke right back to end it.
All in all, it was not a particularly clean match. They combined for more than twice as many unforced errors (101) as winners (48).
“Had my chances. Probably should have taken that second set,” de Minaur said after the end of his best run at the French Open. “I left my heart out there. Did everything I could.”



Lewis Hamilton Paces Both F1 Practices on Opening Day of Las Vegas Grand Prix

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Lewis Hamilton attends the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 18, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/AFP
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Lewis Hamilton attends the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 18, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/AFP
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Lewis Hamilton Paces Both F1 Practices on Opening Day of Las Vegas Grand Prix

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Lewis Hamilton attends the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 18, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/AFP
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Lewis Hamilton attends the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 18, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/AFP

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton paced both of Thursday night's practices at the Las Vegas Grand Prix just two weeks after one of the worst races of his career.
The Mercedes driver was despondent over his performance in Brazil when he intimated after the race he wasn't even sure he wanted to finish the final three races of the season. Hamilton is moving to Ferrari at the end of the season.
“I didn’t really want to come back," Hamilton said in Las Vegas of his Brazil performance, where he struggled with the handling of his car, called it “undriveable” and “the bumpiest ride ever” after finishing 10th, The Associated Press said.
“If this is the last time that I get to perform, it’s a shame it wasn’t great, but (I’m) grateful for you,” Hamilton said on his team radio after the race.
Hamilton clarified those remarks in Las Vegas, explaining how frustrated he was by the Brazil performance.
“In the moment, that’s how I felt," he said. “I didn’t really want to come back after that weekend, but I think that’s only natural. It’s frustrating when you have a season like this, which I’m pretty sure I won’t have again, or at least I’ll work towards not having again. It wasn’t a great feeling in that moment but I’m here, I’m standing strong, and I’m going to give it absolutely everything for the last few races.”
He proved he can bounce back as he led both the first and second practice sessions Thursday in Las Vegas. He was followed in second practice by championship contender Lando Norris of McLaren and Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Max Verstappen, who only needs to finish three points ahead of Norris on Saturday night, was 17th in the second practice.
Hamilton and Russell went 1-2 in the opening practice, with Norris third. Verstappen was a more respectable fifth for Red Bull.