Alexander Zverev will kick off his seventh Shanghai Masters campaign, hoping for a better run than at the ATP 500 event in Beijing. Asked about his most memorable moment at this event, Alexander revived his 2019 quarter-final victory over Roger Federer.
The 22-year-old ousted the legend 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in two hours and four minutes for a place in his eighth Masters 1000 semi-final. Zverev played valiant tennis and outplayed the former champion.
The German fired 17 aces and dropped serve two times from three chances presented to his rival. Federer got broken four times, struggling to impose his strokes and ending his campaign in the quarter-final.
Alexander pushed hard and landed 43 winners and 23 unforced errors. He had the upper hand in the quickest exchanges up to four strokes and had the upper hand in sets he won.
Federer fought hard in the closing stages of the second set. He denied five match points and stole the set to force a decider. However, the young gun made a fresh start and brought the victory home.
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Zverev was off to a great start. He served well in the opener and secured a break in game six with deep returns. The German fired four service winners at 5-3, wrapping up the opener in 27 minutes and gathering a boost.
They traded breaks early in the second set. We saw seven comfortable holds after that, as they remained locked at 5-5. Alexander landed a forehand winner in the 11th game and grabbed a break.
He served for the win at 6-5, having a chance to seal the deal in under70 minutes! However, he wasted three match points and got broken after incredible volleys from the Swiss Maestro.
Thus, Roger survived and reached a tie break. He denied two more match points at 5-6 and 6-7 and wrapped up the set with an ace to force a decider and gain confidence.
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The German left those five match points behind and held at the start of the final set with a service winner. Federer sprayed a volley error in the second game to suffer a break and fall 2-0 behind.
Alexander held at love a few minutes later for a 3-0 advantage before creating more chances on the return in the next one. Roger denied break points and held to remain within one break deficit.
The Swiss saved another break point in game six with a forehand winner, reducing the gap to 4-2. However, Zverev grabbed a hold at love for a 5-2 advantage and served for the win in game nine.
The German provided a hold at 15, sealing the deal in style and celebrating a memorable victory.
"The first memory that comes to mind is the match against Roger Federer in the 2019 quarter-final. That day was very special, given the way I played. I'm sure many people still remember it. I reached the final in Shanghai that year, and this is a place where I can play well. I will work hard to embrace another deep run here," Alexander Zverev said.
