Zverev beats van de Zandschulp to reach US Open semis with record court time

Alexander Zverev, the No. 1 seed at the 2026 US Open, continued his quest for a second Grand Slam title with a convincing victory over Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals. The match, played on Tuesday night at Flushing Meadows, ended 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, sending the German into the semifinals against Karen Khachanov. Notably, Zverev extended his streak of consecutive service holds to 31 games, dating back to the second set of the third round. This reflects his impressive consistency and power on serve. Against van de Zandschulp, he dropped only eight games – his best performance of the tournament so far, surpassing earlier matches. However, the bigger story is the accumulated court time. According to ATP stats, Zverev has spent 16 hours and 40 minutes on court since the start of the tournament – the most of any man to reach the US Open semifinals since the ATP began tracking the metric in 2026. He started the tournament with two five-set matches in the first two rounds – an Open Era record for a men's No. 1 seed. But from the third round onward, he has won three consecutive matches in straight sets, showing adaptation and improvement. “I had a tough start, but I feel better and better now,” Zverev said after the match. “The important thing is I stayed focused and served consistently. 31 consecutive holds is a good number, but the semifinal against Khachanov will be a completely different challenge.” His semifinal opponent, Karen Khachanov, is a high-form Russian. They have met nine times, with Zverev leading 6-3. Importantly, Zverev won both decisive meetings: the 2026 Roland Garros quarterfinal (in five sets) and the 2026 Tokyo Olympic final (in straight sets). However, Khachanov is a big hitter who could exploit Zverev's fatigue if the match goes long. Tactically, Zverev's greatest strength right now is his serve. The 31-hold streak shows a very effective delivery. On hard courts, the serve and first-strike forehand are lethal weapons. However, Zverev must be careful with stamina. 16 hours 40 minutes is a heavy load, and if the semifinal also extends, it could affect a potential final. Zverev will need to finish matches quickly, using his serve to shorten games. On the other side of the draw, American players Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe face each other for a spot in the final. This means Zverev avoids an American opponent in the semis, a slight mental and scheduling advantage. Still, US media attention may focus on the all-American semi, giving Zverev some relief. Historical stats show that No. 1 seeds at Grand Slams have won 22 of 23 meetings against unseeded opponents in semifinals or finals (since 2026). However, Khachanov is the No. 7 seed, so that stat does not fully apply. The Zverev-Khachanov match will be played on Friday, and the winner will face the Shelton-Tiafoe winner in Sunday's final. Zverev is having an outstanding season: he is the only player (male or female) to reach the semifinals of all four majors this year, having won Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon final. If he maintains his form, winning the US Open is within reach. However, history warns: no man has reached the US Open semifinals with such a heavy court time since ATP tracking began, and that could be a major obstacle. For Vietnamese tennis fans, the Zverev-Khachanov semifinal promises drama. Both are powerful players, and Zverev will need composure and consistency to overcome his Russian opponent. Can he make history with a second US Open title? The answer will come after this weekend.