Alexander Zverev demolishes Arthur Fery to reach semi-finals in Vienna

The German needed just 58 minutes to dispatch the British world No 35, winning 6-0, 6-2 in a one-sided contest at the ATP 500 tournament in Austria.

Fery appeared to be struggling physically from the outset, with Zverev winning the first eight games to take a commanding 6-0, 2-0 lead. The 24-year-old Brit had received treatment during his three-set second-round victory over Lorenzo Musetti.

Zverev was playing his first match since securing the world No 1 ranking with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Tallon Griekspoor on Thursday.

The two-time Grand Slam champion had also beaten Fery in straight sets in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, making it two wins from their two meetings.

Speaking to Tennis TV after his latest victory, Zverev was asked whether he had felt in control from the start.

"Yeah, I definitely felt good," Zverev said.

"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, and he is extremely fast.

"I feel like when I have the ball on the racket like that, it"s just a good day for me.

"Yes, the score is 6-0, 6-2, but he shouldn"t put himself down too much, I think. He"s 35 in the world, it"s his first full year on tour, and he"s doing amazing things.

"So, for him, I hope he keeps his head up and continues the work he"s doing."

Zverev was also asked whether securing the world No 1 ranking had allowed him to play with greater freedom, but admitted he was feeling the effects of a late night.

"No, I felt a bit more tired because I didn"t sleep that much last night," he said.

"But look, I still felt very, very good. I still felt the ball quite well on the racket. And everything worked out well. And I hope it continues that way."

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