World No. 19 Alexander Zverev toppled Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 after one hour and 31 minutes, securing a place in his hometown ATP 500 tournament for the first time.
The 19-year-old Frenchman, who lifted his maiden ATP trophy in Lyon last May, made a solid run on German soil, stunning top seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals en route to his semifinal match against the local hero.
In his on-court interview, Zverev commented: “I am extremely happy, especially holding my composure in the end.”
Adding: “I knew that Casper and I have different game styles. Casper plays with a lot more spin, a bit higher, something Arthur maybe likes. I knew I had to take the time away, playing a lot quicker and flatter. I did that well today.”
On Sunday, he will meet World No. 57 Laslo Djere, who cruised past his semifinal opponent Zhang Zhinzhen - the first Chinese man to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal last May in Madrid - in straight sets to progress into his maiden final on tour this season.
Addressing the final contest on home soil, Zverev outlined: “It is always the nicest at home, but at the end of the day, it will be another difficult match tomorrow. I am looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, Djere, 28, will aim to capture his second title at the ATP 500 level on Sunday when he faces the 19-time ATP winner on the clay courts.
On his way to the third championship match of his career, the Serbian shocked defending champion Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The Senta born spoke about the triumph over Zhinzhen: “I am very happy the way I played.
“This was my best match of the year, at least on clay. It didn’t give him a lot of chances. He is a great player and has a huge serve. I surprised myself a bit today.”
“I built up some confidence during this week with three wins. I was happy to reach the semis of an ATP 500 event,” he remarked.
“I am trying not to make a big deal out of it being in the final and trying to see it as any other match.”
Zverev’s flawless campaign in Hamburg sees him reaching Sunday’s matchup without dropping a set all tournament.
Unrelenting behind his serve, the 26-year-old has been playing at a high level, showcasing great confidence and consistency through the four matches he won, proving the hard work to overcome a career-threatening injury is paying off.
In June 2022, he sustained a terrible right ankle injury - tore all three lateral ligaments, at the French Open while facing eventual champion Rafael Nadal for a place in the final.
The 2020 U.S. Open runner-up underwent surgery, starting a long recovery process, which experienced a setback last September when he was diagnosed with bone edema, requiring surgery.
As he came back to play at tour level, he had to deal with first-round exits, struggling to find his feet again, but once he did, the results began to reflect on the court.
Thus far into the 2023 season, he reached the semifinals in Dubai, Geneva, Roland Garros, and Halle.
Ahead of the Hamburg European Open, he competed in Bastad last week, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Andrey Rublev.
Zverev leads Djere 2-0 in their series; their latest encounter dates back to 2021 at the French Open, a match he won in three sets.