Alexander Zverev is hoping to win his first grass-court title World number three Alexander Zverev sprinted off court to vomit mid-match but recovered to beat Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-4 7-6 (8-6) at the Halle Open. In the second game of his quarter-final of the grass-court tournament Zverev requested a toilet break and ran off court to be sick. He looked visibly unwell on his return and initially struggled in longer rallies, but he got better as the match went on and managed to hold off world number 24 Cobolli. "I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I felt ill, went to throw up and then 15 minutes later I felt OK again," the 28-year-old German said. "I don't know what it was, I've never experienced that before. I hope I'll be fine in the next couple of hours when the adrenaline settles." In the semi-finals Zverev will face Daniil Medvedev, whose match on Friday was also briefly delayed when the Russian had a nosebleed on court. Despite needing a medical timeout in the second set, the former world number one ended up cruising to a 6-4 6-3 win over American Alex Michelsen to keep his preparations for Wimbledon on track, with 10 days to go before the start of the grass-court Grand Slam. "The shadows on the court made the conditions quite difficult. It took some time to get used to it," Medvedev, 29, said. There was also drama at the Berlin Open, where world number one Aryna Sabalenka saved four match points to beat Elena Rybakina 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 7-6 (8-6). The Belarusian was down 6-2 in the deciding tie-break and only saved the first match point thanks to a fortunate net cord. It was to be the momentum swing Sabalenka needed. Kazakh 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina never recovered and Sabalenka won the next five points to reach Saturday's semi-finals. "It's amazing to win matches like this, it trains your fighting spirit for the next tournaments and I'm proud of myself for trying till the very last point," said Sabalenka. The 27-year-old will face another former Wimbledon champion in the semi-finals in Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who beat Tunisian Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-1 in a re-match of their 2023 final at the All England Club.
Zverev and Medvedev win after sickness and nosebleed
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"Zverev and Medvedev Advance Despite Health Challenges at Halle Open"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Alexander Zverev, the world number three, showcased resilience during his quarter-final match at the Halle Open, overcoming a sudden bout of sickness to defeat Italy's Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). Midway through the second set, Zverev requested a toilet break due to feeling unwell and ran off the court to vomit. Upon his return, he appeared visibly shaken and struggled initially, especially in longer rallies. However, as the match progressed, Zverev regained his composure and managed to secure the victory against the world number 24. After the match, Zverev expressed uncertainty about the cause of his illness but was optimistic about feeling better soon, stating, "I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I hope I'll be fine in the next couple of hours when the adrenaline settles." He is set to face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, who also experienced a brief interruption during his match due to a nosebleed.
Daniil Medvedev, a former world number one, maintained his focus despite needing a medical timeout during his quarter-final match against American Alex Michelsen. Medvedev won convincingly with a score of 6-4, 6-3, and acknowledged the challenging conditions on the court, attributing some difficulties to the shadows present during play. With only ten days remaining before Wimbledon, both Zverev and Medvedev are fine-tuning their games in preparation for the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam. Meanwhile, at the Berlin Open, world number one Aryna Sabalenka displayed remarkable tenacity by saving four match points to triumph over Elena Rybakina in a thrilling encounter that concluded with a score of 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6). Sabalenka’s win exemplified the fighting spirit necessary for success in future tournaments, as she now prepares to face former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the semi-finals, following Vondrousova's victory over Ons Jabeur.
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