Zverev struggled with a hamstring problem (Picture: AFP/Getty) Alexander Zverev suffered a disappointing end after his first run to a Grand Slam quarter-final as he crashed out to Dominic Thiem in straight sets. The German second seed was seen clutching his hamstring throughout Tuesday’s match and ultimately his body broke down, having played three consecutive five set matches in previous rounds. With a fast turnaround for the grass-court season, there are fears over whether Zverev will be able to fully recover to be a contender at Wimbledon and he insists he’s unsure of just how big the problem is. When asked about the extent of the injury, he replied: ‘I don’t know. It’s all very fresh. Thiem came through (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m going to take an MRI now after I’m done here. But, you know, most of the time, with muscle injuries or muscle pulls, you can only see something on an MRI if you take it two or three days after. ‘I’m going to go back home and, you know, definitely not do anything and see what it is.’ When asked if he considered pulling out, he added: ‘I thought about it. ‘I definitely thought about it, but, you know, I didn’t want to pull out for the first time of my career in a Grand Slam quarterfinal. ‘So, you know, I knew I’m not going to win the match. There was no way for me. I mean, I could barely move. I couldn’t serve. I couldn’t really do anything. Thiem felt for Zverev (Picture: Getty) ‘But I still wanted to finish the match and, you know, kind of give the credit to Dominic. He deserves to be in the semifinals. You know, end on a loss and not on a retirement.’ Thiem – who will go on to face either Novak Djokovic or Marco Cecchinato in the semi-finals – admitted it was a tough match to negotiate, despite Zverev’s injury woes. ‘Well, it’s never easy if your opponent obviously is not 100%,’ he said. ‘But he’s one of the fittest guys on tour, and even for him it’s maybe even a little bit too tough to play three five-setters in the first rounds of a slam. Can Thiem lift the title? (Picture: Getty) ‘So I expected somehow that he’s a little bit tired, but still I’m happy how I finished the game. I let him run. I was doing what I had to do, and so I’m satisfied.’ Zverev, meanwhile, has tipped Thiem to go on and reach the final and insists he could even edge out Rafael Nadal to win the tournament. ‘I think he can definitely go to the final,’ he said. ‘It’s going to be between Rafa and him. ‘I think he’s playing very heavy. I think he’s not missing much. I think he’s improved his serve a lot. ‘So he’s definitely playing great tennis. You know, I think one of the three best players on the clay court in the last few years, and right now especially. ‘So I wish him all the best. And, you know, by the end of the week, we’ll see how he does.’<doc-sep>Dominic Thiem reached the semi-finals of the French Open for the third year in a row with a straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 win over an injury-stricken Alexander Zverev. The seventh seeded Thiem's ball-striking accuracy from the baseline proved too much for second seed Zverev who looked jaded after a gruelling path to his first Grand Slam quarter-final. After an even start full of high quality ball-striking, Thiem broke serve at 3-3 and quickly got on top, stretching his opponent all over Court Philippe Chatrier. Second seed Zverev, 21, needed his left thigh strapped in the second set and looked disconsolate as Thiem widened his advantage with a clinical display of hitting. Thiem needed only 15 minutes to go 4-0 up in the third with Zverev barely running for wide balls.<doc-sep>Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals of the French Open Dominic Thiem ended the hopes of an exhausted Alexander Zverev at the French Open to reach his third-straight semi-final in Paris. After fighting through three consecutive five-set match-wins, Zverev was hampered by a thigh injury, and the German second-seed inevitably ran out of steam with Thiem running out a 6-4 6-2 6-1 winner. Did you know... Thiem, 24, is hoping to become the first Austrian to reach a Grand Slam final since Thomas Muster in 1995. "He is one of the fittest guys on the tour so it was difficult for him today," said Thiem. "I hope we have many more matches at the Grand Slams but when we are 100 per cent. "It's great to reach the semi-finals for a third year but it's time to take another step and I will do everything for that." The seventh-seeded Austrian broke Zverev for a 4-3 lead in the opening set with a perfectly executed single-handed backhand and closed out the set two games later. Trailing 4-1 in the second Zverev called a trainer to receive treatment on his left thigh at the changeover. He returned to the court with his leg bandaged but succumbed under increasing pressure to drop two sets behind. Zverev was hampered by a thigh injury he picked up during the second set of his quarter-final loss Zverev was struggling on serve and unable to move fluently, despite finding his range with some big baseline winners. It was the dominant Thiem, who handed Rafael Nadal his only loss on clay in 2018, who eased through the third to claim a comfortable victory. Zverev admitted his exertions had finally caught up with him after fighting through three consecutive five-setters and spent almost two and a half hours longer on court than Thiem. "How close was I to pulling out? I thought about it. I definitely thought about it. I knew I wasn't going to win the match. There was no way for me. I mean, I could barely move. I couldn't serve. I couldn't really do anything," said the German. Thiem will take on unseeded Italian Cecchinato for a place in the final after the Italian knocked out former champion Novak Djokovic 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 7-6 (13-11).<doc-sep>Dominic Thiem has been tipped to take Rafael Nadal all the way in the French Open FREE for news on the biggest players and tournaments SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up forfor news on the biggest players and tournaments When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Zverev, 21, crashed out of the tournament in the quarter-finals today after losing in straight sets to close pal Thiem 6-4 6-2 6-1. World No 3 Zverev appeared to tweak his hamstring in the first set and never fully recovered, looking uncomfortable for most of the match as Thiem dominated. Thiem entered Roland Garros in good form, winning a tour title in Lyon to move him clear of Rafael Nadal as the leading man on clay - in terms of number of matches won - this year. Thiem defeated an injured Zverev in straight sets earlier today And Zverev tipped the Austrian to continue his run through to the final day of the tournament, where odds-on pre-tournament favourite Nadal is likely to be waiting. “I think he can definitely go to the final,” Zverev said. “It's going to be between Rafa and him. I think he's playing very heavy. “I think he's not missing much. I think he's improved his serve a lot. The 21-year-old claimed Thiem is a certainty to make it to the final<doc-sep>
Alexander Zverev crashed out of the French Open in the quarter-finals today The 21-year-old, who had played five sets in each of his three previous rounds, appeared to tweak a muscle in the first set against his Austrian rival and was unable to fully recover. Thiem, 24, finished a 6-4 6-2 6-1 winner, booking his place in the semi-finals against the winner of Novak Djokovic’s last eight tie against unseeded Italian Marco Cecchinato. Speaking to reporters after a disappointing loss today, German youngster Zverev said he would have his hamstring injury checked out before deciding on his immediate future. “It's all very fresh. I'm going to take an MRI now after I'm done here,” he said. The 21-year-old appeared to tweak his hamstring in the second round against Thiem “Most of the time, with muscle injuries or muscle pulls, you can only see something on an MRI if you take it two or three days after. Middle of the second set, the pain was too much Alexander Zverev “I’m going to go back home and definitely not do anything and see what it is. “[The] first time I felt a pull was in the fourth game of the first set when we had, you know, a few great points, a lot of physical points. “I remember I slid one time, and then I felt a muscle pull. I thought, ‘Well, okay. I played a lot’. “I thought maybe it's just, like, soreness or something that would just go away. I didn't think about it too much. “And then each game and each slide, I was getting worse and worse. Middle of the second set, the pain was too much.” Zverev will have an MRI scan on the injury in the coming days