Daniil Medvedev defeats Alexander Zverev to reach first final in 15 months

The former world number one looked in scintillating grass-court form on Saturday, edging out Zverev 7-6(3), 6-7(1), 6-4 in the last four of the ATP 500 event.

The win means that Medvedev will contest his first final since Indian Wells in March 2024.

Zverev, playing in his home country, attempted to fight back from a set-and-a-break down, saving three match points in his final service game of the second set - before dominating the tiebreak.

However, it was the lower-ranked player who was more consistent in the decider, with Zverev regularly losing his cool after being unable to capitalise on crucial opportunities.

"I am happy with my level, I played great," Medvedev said during his on-court interview.

"I could have done much better when I had the break in the second but it is normal. The same happened in the third set when I had the break, he started playing better, returning better.

"I am happy that in the third set I managed to stay more composed and managed to save those break points. I would have loved to finish on the match points [in the second set].

"The first one I went for it and missed it. The second one I went a bit slower to wait for a mistake and he made a great point. I am happy to win in the end."

The pair have now met in 20 occasions, with Medvedev extending his lead in the head-to-head to 13-7 - winning 12 of their last 14 meetings, including all of their last four.

However, their Halle clash was the first on a grass court.

"Many elements converge each time we face each other, but if you notice, most of the matches are incredibly tight, no matter who wins," analysed the former US Open champion.

"When the match is close, as it was this afternoon, the victory can go to either side. The same thing happened to me when I lost against him; once we were tied at 3-3 in the final set, and I had a break point, and I ended up losing 6-3.

"They are always very close, hard-fought duels, but I have to be happy to see that lately I manage them better than him to secure the victory. They are always tough matches; he is a complete player with a tremendous serve. Any game can be crucial if you lose focus."

Medvedev will next face Alexander Bublik in the final, with the Kazakh overcoming Karen Khachanov in his respective semi-final.

The Russian has dominated his head-to-head against Bublik 6-0, claiming 13 of their 14 sets contested.

"Head-to-head stats mean nothing in a professional final," stated Medvedev, before Bublik had completed his victory.

"Similarly, both players will be in great form, so it will depend on who plays the key points better. For instance, if we talk about Alexander Bublik, he obviously comes after having the best tournament of his career at Roland Garros, and we know that clay is not his favourite surface, so it won't change my mindset much if I have to face him.

"I will watch that match calmly; may the best player win. Tomorrow, I will have no choice but to bring out my best if I want to contend for the title."

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