Day eight at the 2024 Italian Open featured two of the men’s quarter-final matches, with Alejandro Tabilo defeating Zhizhen Zhang in straight sets and Sascha Zverev dismissing Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-3.
The two-week Masters 1000 events provide awful value for money at this stage in the tournament, with two few matches spread across the day. It’s equally bad for TV viewers as there’s so much dead time with nothing going on. Bring back one week-long Masters events!
Below is a recap of Wednesday’s quarter-final matches, along with match stats and highlights.
Day Eight Italian Open 2024 Quarter Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Alejandro Tabilo (29) | Zhizhen Zhang | 6-3 6-4 |
| Alexander Zverev (3) | Taylor Fritz (11) | 6-4, 6-3 |
Tabilo Tops Zhang
Alejandro Tabilo continued his impressive run at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia by reaching the semi-finals, defeating Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.
The 29th-seeded Chilean, who ousted world No. 1 Novak Djokovic earlier in the week, showcased confident and aggressive play from the baseline in his first match against Zhang, securing a break in each set to seal a victory in one hour and 27 minutes.
Tabilo is a super sweet ball striker, but his serve underpinned his victory today. He won 83% of points on his first serve and saved both break points he faced.
The Chilean now has a personal-best 19 tour-level wins in 2024, a title in Auckland, and is ranked 25th in the ATP Live Rankings.
I can’t believe it right now. I’m still trying to soak this in. I’m just so happy. I felt pretty good on the court, pretty solid. I was trying to do my job and play my best tennis. It’s definitely the best tennis of my life right now, but I was trying to keep a poker face there because I was so nervous inside. Every time, trying to close out the match gets slightly tighter. So I was trying to be loose, trying to smile out there at the end, and thank god I served so well at the end. That helped me close out the match. Tabilo on his win over Zhang
Match Stats
| Alejandro Tabilo | Zhizhen Zhang | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 7 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 63% | 50% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 83% (33/40) | 80% (24/30) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 46% (11/24) | 43% (13/30) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) | 60% (3/5) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 20% (6/30) | 18% (7/40) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 57% (17/30) | 54% (13/24) |
| Break Points Converted | 40% (2/5) | 0% (0/2) |
| Winners | 28 | 21 |
| Unforced Errors | 8 | 10 |
| Net Points Won | 77% (10/13) | 47% (7/15) |
| Max Points In Row | 6 | 4 |
| Service Points Won | 69% (44/64) | 62% (37/60) |
| Return Points Won | 38% (23/60) | 31% (20/64) |
| Total Points Won | 54% (67/124) | 46% (57/124) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 1 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (10/10) | 78% (7/9) |
| Return Games Won | 22% (2/9) | 0% (0/10) |
| Total Games Won | 63% (12/19) | 37% (7/19) |
Highlights
Zverev Foils Fritz
Sascha Zverev advanced to the semi-finals of a clay court Masters 1000 for the ninth time on Wednesday, closing out Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in their quarter-final showdown. The third seed, now the highest remaining in Rome, displayed superior serving and precise baseline play to secure the win.
Early in the match, Zverev had a strange-looking fall when he lost his footing. He sustained cuts on both hands and required a trainer’s visit to patch him up.
Despite the setback, Zverev broke Fritz’s serve immediately after the fall, establishing a lead he maintained to take the first set.
The German showed resilience in the second, coming out a couple of closer games and showed no signs of physical impairment affecting his play for the remainder of the one-hour and 30-minute match.
I thought he hit his forehand very nicely. Typically, that wing can get a bit passive or floaty, but he took it to the American, and of course, his backhand was rock solid as usual.
Zverev will face Alejandro Tabilo in the semi-finals. Neither man has dropped a set in the tournament so far.
Match Stats
| Alexander Zverev | Taylor Fritz | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 6 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 77% | 62% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 78% (29/37) | 74% (25/34) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 64% (7/11) | 43% (9/21) |
| Break Points Saved | 0% (0/0) | 40% (2/5) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 26% (9/34) | 22% (8/37) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 57% (12/21) | 36% (4/11) |
| Break Points Converted | 60% (3/5) | 0% (0/0) |
| Winners | 20 | 11 |
| Unforced Errors | 4 | 10 |
| Net Points Won | 57% (12/21) | 67% (8/12) |
| Max Points In Row | 6 | 5 |
| Service Points Won | 75% (36/48) | 62% (34/55) |
| Return Points Won | 38% (21/55) | 25% (12/48) |
| Total Points Won | 55% (57/103) | 45% (46/103) |
| Max Games In Row | 4 | 1 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (9/9) | 70% (7/10) |
| Return Games Won | 30% (3/10) | 0% (0/9) |
| Total Games Won | 63% (12/19) | 37% (7/19) |
Highlights
Italian Open 2024 Day 9 Quarter Final Schedule
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) vs Nicolas Jarry (21)
- Hubert Hurkacz (7) vs Tommy Paul (14)
