World No. 3 Zverev Becomes the First Finalist at Roland Garros!

The marks left on the clay courts by Alexander Zverev and Jakub Menšík on their way to the semifinals showcase the clash of experience and youth at Roland Garros. In the second week of the tournament, both players passed incredibly tough tests to reach this stage.

Jakub Menšík: The Nightmare of the Seeded Players

The 26th seed, Jakub Menšík, acted as a true giant-killer until the semifinals. Despite losing the first set 6-0 against the 8th seed Alex de Minaur in the third round, he staged a magnificent comeback to win the match 3-1.

In the fourth round, he drew all eyes by knocking out the 11th seed Andrey Rublev (6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3) in a nerve-wracking 5-set battle. In the quarterfinals, he defeated one of the surprise names of the tournament, 28th seed Brazilian João Fonseca, in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 7-6) to reach the semifinals without dropping a set.

Alexander Zverev: The Cool-Headed Ruler of Philippe-Chatrier

The tournament's No. 2 seed, Alexander Zverev, fully utilized his court advantage by playing all of his matches leading up to the semifinals on the center court, Philippe-Chatrier.

The German racket, who defeated host nation's Quentin Halys 3-1 in the third round, managed to surpass Dutchman Jesper de Jong (7-6, 6-4, 6-1) in the fourth round and Spaniard Rafael Jódar (7-6, 6-1, 6-3) in the quarterfinals. The fact that Zverev's matches went to a tie-break in the opening sets but he remained flawless in critical moments was the greatest proof of his intense concentration throughout the tournament.

Putting an end to Menšík's wonderful run in the semifinals, Zverev aims to carry this consistent performance into the final.

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