Sat Jun 21 13:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Zverev Battles Illness, Medvedev Nosebleed, En Route to Halle Open Semifinals

**Halle, Germany** – Alexander Zverev overcame a sudden bout of illness, including a mid-match sprint to vomit, to defeat Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6 (8) and advance to the semifinals of the Halle Open on Friday. The German second seed experienced the unexpected ailment early in the match, leaving the court for a toilet break after feeling “really, really bad.”

“I felt fine before the match. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt really, really bad. I felt ill, went to throw up and then 15 minutes later I felt OK again,” Zverev explained. Despite visibly struggling with exhaustion upon his return, Zverev managed to hold serve and eventually secure the victory in a tight second-set tiebreak.

His semifinal opponent will be third seed Daniil Medvedev, who also experienced his own drama on court, suffering a nosebleed during his 6-4, 6-3 victory over American Alex Michelsen. The Russian was forced to take a medical timeout but managed to maintain his composure, denying Michelsen any break point opportunities. Medvedev acknowledged the challenge of playing in the shadows on the court, stating, “The shadows on the court made the conditions quite difficult. It took some time to get used to it.”

Medvedev and Zverev have a lengthy history, with Medvedev holding a 12-7 head-to-head advantage. “I think he’s the guy that I played the most in my career,” Zverev said, looking forward to the challenge. “He’s one of my toughest opponents in my career. It’s going to be a great match.”

The other semifinal will see defending champion Alexander Bublik face eighth seed Karen Khachanov. Bublik continued his strong run, dispatching Tomas Machac 7-6 (2), 6-3 with a display of powerful serving and entertaining shotmaking. Khachanov advanced with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

The Halle Open semifinals promise exciting matchups as players battle for a coveted grass-court title ahead of Wimbledon.

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