Alexander Zverev beats Alex de Minaur in straight sets after saving all five break points

A forehand winner creates the first opening

Zverev secured the opening set’s only break with the score at 2–2. At 0/40 on de Minaur’s serve, he struck a forehand winner to take the lead. His next service game gave de Minaur an immediate opportunity to erase that advantage, with three break points available.

Zverev saved all three before holding for 4–2. His next service game was a love hold for 5–3, leaving him one game from the opening set.

A drop volley finishes the opening set

The first set ended with Zverev moving de Minaur from side to side before finishing with a backhand drop volley. That completed a 6–4 set in which the break at 2–2 proved decisive: de Minaur had been unable to recover it.

Two saved chances precede the decisive break

De Minaur earned two more break points in the sixth game of the second set. He mishit a forehand on the first, and Zverev saved both chances to hold for 3–3. These were de Minaur’s last break-point opportunities, completing a match in which none of his five chances produced a break.

In the next game, Zverev put away a backhand volley to earn two break points of his own. De Minaur then double-faulted into the tape to surrender serve. Having saved two chances on his own delivery, Zverev now led 4–3.

A love hold seals a semifinal return

Zverev served out the match at love to complete the straight-sets victory, finishing without losing a service game. Across his 10 holds, he recorded 10 aces and one double fault. He landed 44 of 55 first serves and won 35 of those 44 points.

The win earned Zverev his third Shanghai semifinal appearance and his first since 2019. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina awaited him in the next round.