Zverev and Shelton reach Munich semis; Andreeva stuns Swiatek at Stuttgart Open

Top seed Alexander Zverev battled back from a set down to beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo on Friday and book a spot in the semi-finals of the Munich ATP tournament.

The three-time Munich champion won 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 and will take on Italy’s Flavio Cobolli on Saturday for a place in the final. Zverev burst out of the blocks and served for a 5-1 lead in the opening set but appeared to suddenly lose his rhythm, winning just one more game as Cerundolo powered back to take the opening set.

As the second set began, and with the support of the home crowd, the 28-year-old found his form as swiftly as he had lost it, bouncing back to win the final two sets while dropping just two games.

“Even in the first set when I was up 4-1, he started playing unbelievable. He started returning unbelievable,” Zverev said. The German came into Friday’s match holding a 4-3 career advantage over the fifth-seeded Cerundolo but had never previously beaten the Argentine in three matches on clay.

“Definitely happy to get the win today against Francisco, for the first time on clay,” Zverev said on court after the win.

Zverev, whose most recent title came in Munich a year ago, is chasing a record fourth triumph at the tournament, having also won in 2017 and 2018.

On the other side of the draw, American second seed Ben Shelton overcame Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca to keep hopes of a 2025 Munich final rematch with Zverev alive.

Shelton, the world number six, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The American has never won a clay court tournament, having lost in straight sets to Zverev in Munich a year ago.

In the semi-finals, Shelton will take on Alex Molcan, who cruised past Denis Shapovalov in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.

Earlier, Cobolli was the first to book a spot in the final four after he defeated Czech Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-2.

Playing on his favourite surface, the fourth seed won the opening set and cruised to a 5-1 lead in the second. He missed two match points on Kopriva’s serve before finishing it off in the following game.

Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva dropped the opening set to Iga Swiatek but came back to score a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in a 2-hour, 36-minute thriller on Friday against the two-time Stuttgart champ to book her spot in the semi=finals.

Andreeva found herself in a familiar position during her latest match, echoing the challenges she faced in her opening encounter against Jelena Ostapenko.

Much like that first match, Andreeva had to fight back from a difficult spot. After losing the first set, she was down 2-0 in the decisive third set, seemingly on the ropes and in danger of falling short.

But the young Russian wasn’t ready to surrender. In what can only be described as a masterful comeback, Andreeva flipped the script entirely. With a level of focus and determination that belied her age, she reeled off five consecutive games, breaking her opponent’s serve twice in a row to clinch the victory. Her turnaround was nothing short of stunning, showcasing her mental fortitude and ability to perform under pressure.

Muchova overcomes Gauff hoodoo: Karolina Muchova broke through for a first win over Coco Gauff on Friday, eliminating the French Open champion in three sets in the quarter-finals.

Muchova had never beaten world number three Gauff in six matches, including a loss in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, but prevailed 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to reach the Stuttgart semi-finals for the first time. The 12th-ranked Muchova will face Elina Svitolina for a place in the final.

After ensuring Gauff exited the tournament in the quarter-finals for the third straight year, Muchova said she tried not to let the daunting record impact her preparation.

“It was a great fight. I’m just happy that I finally, finally beat her,” Muchova said.

Fourth seed Svitolina moved past Czech Linda Noskova 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 to book her semi-final spot.

The in-form Ukrainian has now reached five semi-finals this season.

Svitolina told reporters she had re-discovered her fighting spirit after a difficult 2025.

Agencies