Alexander Zverev cruised into the Erste Bank Open semi-finals on Friday, when the German delivered a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory in 58 minutes against an ailing Arthur Fery.
Fery, who received treatment from the physio in the closing stages of his second-round win against Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday, appeared to be physically hindered from the first game against Zverev. The German took full advantage, remaining in control throughout the quarter-final to secure his place in his third semi-final at the Austrian ATP 500 event.
"I definitely felt good," Zverev said following his victory. "I think Arthur is a bit of a different opponent than I had yesterday. He doesn't have the same firepower, but he plays tactically extremely well... I know the score was 6-0, 6-2, but he should not put himself down too much. It is his first year on the Tour and he is doing amazing things."
With the triumph, Zverev improved to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The German also defeated Fery earlier this year in the last four at Wimbledon, where Fery was making his first appearance in a major semi-final.
The 2021 champion Zverev has found his footing in Vienna, where he saved four match points in his opening match to outlast #NextGenATP star Martin Landaluce, then defeated Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets. With that victory, Zverev ensured he will become World No. 1 when the next edition of the PIF ATP Rankings is released on Monday, 2 November.
Through to his Tour-leading 12th semi-final of the season, Zverev improved to 65-14 this season, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The German will face fifth seed Alex de Minaur or Matteo Berrettini for a place in the final in Vienna.
