Continually targeted on his forehand wing, Zverev conceded his initial service break following a brilliant running backhand passing shot, enabling Davidovich Fokina to push the semi-final encounter into a final set.
After suffering an early break to fall behind 2-0 in the final set, Zverev was unable to regain command of the match, allowing the 25th seed to progress to his first ATP Masters 1000 championship match since 2022.
Unable to match the high level of play that secured his convincing victory over Alex de Minaur in the last eight, Zverev admitted he has felt fatigued ever since his fourth-round clash against Alexander Bublik went down to a final-set tie-breaker.
“To begin with, I’m a person, not a machine—fatigue affects me,” Zverev stated. “Since the US Open concluded, I’ve managed just a single day of rest. I’ve taken part in a great deal of tennis, which is immensely positive since it indicates I’ve been performing at a high level.
“Even throughout this tournament, I’ve had demanding contests. My own sense is that my energy levels dropped following the match against Bublik, as I was gradually running out of stamina.
“While I put on an outstanding performance against Alex de Minaur, I lacked spark today. Despite taking the opening set, I felt sluggish, my reactions were off, and my return game was particularly poor.
“At the end of the day, we are all human, even those at the top of the sport.”
This loss in the last four stands out as a rare setback in an otherwise stellar year for Zverev, during which he captured his maiden Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros in June and added a second major title at the US Open in September.
Davidovich Fokina is set to clash with countryman Rafael Jodar in Sunday’s championship match.
