Zverev Advances in Stuttgart, Pursues First Grasscourt Title

Home favorite Alexander Zverev, the top seed, defeated Brandon Nakashima with a score of 7-5, 6-4 on Friday to secure his place in the Stuttgart Open semi-finals. Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton also advanced to the final four.

Zverev is in pursuit of his first title on grass. He navigated a closely contested first set, which was even at 5-5, before elevating his performance in the final two games to win the set.

Alexander Zverev demonstrated greater command in the second set against his American adversary, concluding the match with 31 winning shots in a 90-minute showdown.

“Now that I’ve reached the semi-finals, my complete attention is directed toward performing at my absolute peak,” Zverev stated.

“I anticipate tougher competition ahead, but I feel genuinely content both on the court and in Stuttgart, and I eagerly anticipate the next two days.”

Alexander Zverev’s next opponent is third seed Shelton. The American secured his spot by overpowering Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4, delivering 18 aces and showcasing near-invincibility on his first serve.

Shelton’s dominance was evident in the second set, where he maintained a perfect record on his service games, winning 100% of his first-serve points in the match. This victory guarantees his debut in the top 10 world rankings.

Marton Fucsovics had previously defeated Fritz in straight sets in Stuttgart two years prior; however, the American prevailed this time with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory and has yet to concede a set in this tournament.

Fritz relied on his formidable serve, firing 12 aces past the Hungarian, to secure a semi-final match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who triumphed over 17-year-old German player Justin Engel with scores of 7-6(3), 6-3.

Earlier in the week, Engel achieved his first professional victory on grass by defeating James Duckworth, followed by a surprising win against seventh seed Alex Michelsen. However, Auger-Aliassime proved to be too challenging an opponent for the young player.

“His serve was exceptionally strong today, which put pressure on my own service games,” Engel commented.

“It was a pleasure to perform in front of this audience again. I am looking forward to returning next year.”