MELBOURNE, Australia — Alexander Zverev advanced to his third Australian Open semifinal after defeating 12th-seeded Tommy Paul of the United States with scores of 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1 on Tuesday.

Ranked No. 2, Zverev faced tough challenges early in the match, needing to fend off set points in both of the first two sets. However, he proved to be formidable in the tiebreaks, showcasing his ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered most.

Despite being a two-time Grand Slam finalist, Zverev has yet to reach that stage at the Australian Open. He will now face the winner of a later quarterfinal duel that he labeled as a “clash of generations.” This high-stakes matchup features the 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who is 37 years old, and 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time major champion.

To secure his win over Paul, Zverev required three match points—first on Paul’s serve and then two more on his own service game—eventually sealing the match with an ace. Paul had impressive credentials as he was a semifinalist in Melbourne last year and had beaten Zverev in their previous two encounters, but this marked the first time they faced each other in a Grand Slam setting.

Reflecting on his performance, Zverev admitted, “To be honest, I should have been down two sets to love. 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—I’m in the semifinals, somehow.”

He expressed excitement about the upcoming Djokovic-Alcaraz match, describing it as “probably the highlight match of the whole tournament.” Zverev noted, “Two of the best players that probably ever touched a tennis racket. It’s a clash of generations.”