Zverev ends Marozsan's run, reaches Miami SFs

Alexander Zverev ensured that Fabian Marozsan’s pair of Top 10 wins did not turn into a hat-trick Thursday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The World No. 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings, now into his third semi-final of the season, earned a 6-3, 7-5 victory against the Hungarian, who defeated Top 10 stars Holger Rune and Alex de Minaur en route to the last eight.

Zverev won 80 per cent (37/46) of his first-serve points and fended off the only two break points he faced throughout the one-hour, 37-minute match, which was his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Marozsan. Boasting an 18-5 season record, Zverev next faces 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals.

“I’m happy to be back in these late stages of these tournaments, playing the best players in the world, I think there are only those left,” Zverev said. “Looking forward to the challenge.”

A 2018 finalist in Miami, the 26-year-old was watertight from the back of the court, commiting just 10 unforced errors to Marozan’s 23, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Zverev maintained an aggressive baseline position to counter the Hungarian’s early cuts at the ball, and was forced to chase down several deft drop shots from Marozsan.

“If he keeps playing like that, he’s going to rise up the rankings very quickly,” Zverev said. “He always rushes [you]... I think when all top players feel like they are in control, they feel like they manage the match and play the match a little bit in their own favour and against him, it’s not possible. That’s why he has such a great Top 10 record [4-2]. He’s an unbelievable player.”

Zverev, who is a 21-time tour-level titlist, is aiming for his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown and first since 2021 Cincinnati. He is 17-8 in Miami, where he is yet to drop a set this fortnight.

Marozsan, 24, was competing in his second quarter-final at the Masters 1000 level (2023 Shanghai). After a standout run in south Florida, Marozsan is up 19 spots to a career-high No. 38 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. On Monday, he will become the fourth Hungarian to reach the Top 50 in PIF ATP Rankings history (since 1973).