Alexander Zverev continued his passage through the Monte-Carlo Masters with a victory against Joao Fonseca.
The German needed three sets to beat the talented teenager, but he got himself over the line and into the semi-finals.
Zverev was not entirely positive about his display, but he was very happy to continue his development during the clay court swing.
With his victory over Fonseca, Zverev has earned an accolade that only Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal have managed.
Alexander Zverev joins elite list after Monte-Carlo win
According to OptaAce, Zverev has become the fourth player since 1990 to reach 10 or more ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals on clay.
Zverev joins elite company, joining Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer with the achievement.
Do you really believe that Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam title?
Nadal tops the list with an exceptional 37 Masters event semi-finals, which more than lives up to his King of Clay moniker.
Djokovic follows with 28 ATP 1000 clay court semi-finals, while Federer managed 19 Masters semi-finals on the surface.
At 28-years-old, there is still a chance Zverev could continue to make ground on the best three players to play the game.
Alexander Zverev now has the chance to overturn an unfortunate record
Zverev will now play his third Masters semi-final in a row against the same opponent as he plays Jannik Sinner in the final four.
Sinner knocked Zverev out of the semi-finals of both Indian Wells and the Miami Open on the Sunshine Double, but his fateful record stretches back way further.
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Zverev has not beaten Sinner since the 2023 US Open, when he knocked the Italian out of the round of 16 in five sets.
Since, Zverev has tasted seven straight defeats to Sinner, which includes losses at the Australian Open and the ATP Finals.
Ahead of their meeting in Monte-Carlo, Sinner leads the head-to-head record against Zverev with eight wins from their 12 matches.
