Sascha Zverev Rallies From Two Sets Down To Reach First Grand Slam Final At U.S. Open

For several years now, Sascha Zverev has been the most talented player in men’s tennis never to reach a Grand Slam final.

The 23-year-old German has won 11 career titles, including the 2018 ATP Tour Finals where he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final.

Meantime, his fellow 20-somethings Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem both reached at least one Grand Slam final, while Zverev had only one semifinal appearance in a major on his résumé entering the U.S. Open.

But that has all changed thanks to a gutsy comeback by Zverev in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday. The No. 5 seed rallied from two sets down for the first time in his career to prevail over No. 20 Pablo Carreno Busta, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

“I’m through to my first Grand Slam final and that’s all that matters,” he told ESPN’s Brad Gilbert on court.

Zverev has now won 11 of his last 12 matches and will try to capture his first major title in Sunday’s final against the winner between No. 2 Thiem and No. 3 Medvedev.

History will record that Zverev benefited from the absence in the draw of Djokovic, the world No. 1 who was defaulted in the fourth round against Carreno Busta for unintentionally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball. Djokovic could have faced Zverev in the semis.

“There’s going to be a new Grand Slam champion,” Zverev said then. “That’s all I know right now. There’s no past Grand Slam champions left in the draw. It’s going to be one of the young guys…

“Now it gets interesting. Now I think is the time where it gets really interesting.”

After Carreno Busta dominated the first two sets and controlled the match from the baseline, Zverev dug down and turned the tide beginning in the third set. Instead of going away, the German dug deep into his mental and physical reserves.

“I was actually looking at the scoreboard when I was down two sets to love and I was like, I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’m playing in the semifinal where I’m supposed to be the favorite and I’m down two sets to love and I have no chance, I’m playing that bad.

“I knew that I had to come up with better tennis and I had to be more stable.”

He’s had trouble with his second serve in the tournament but has basically opted to go for two first serves by going big on the second. He finished with 24 aces and eight double faults.

“Yeah, I wasn’t winning many second-serve points so I had to be more aggressive generally I think and it turned out well for me,” he said.

Zverev broke Carreno Busta twice in the fourth set, going ahead 4-3 with an overhead smash.

Twice in the fourth set Carreno Busta hit balls right at Zverev when he was at net. On the second one, he cranked a ball that hit Zverev in the side. Zverev held out his arms to look at his opponent as if to say, “What gives?” Carreno Busta apologized during the crossover and they appeared to make peace.

But it didn’t distract Zverev from closing out the fourth set on his serve.

After the fourth set, Carreno Busta called for the trainer, who appeared to work on his left side.

Zverev broke Carreno Busta in the first game of the fifth set when the Spaniard played a loose service game and netted a forehand on break point.

Zverev closed the match out with yet another break when the Spaniard hit a backhand into the net on match point.

Now he awaits the winner of the second semifinal and will have about 48 hours to rest up before his first Grand Slam final.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he said, “but there is still one more step to go for me.”