French Open quarterfinals: Alexander Zverev defeats upstart Tomás Martín Etcheverry

The Cinderella run of Tomás Martín Etcheverry, a 23-year-old from Argentina who made his pro debut just two and a half years ago, has ended at the French Open. Alexander Zverev, the No. 22 seed, defeated Etcheverry 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 22 minutes.

Etcheverry, currently ranked No. 49 in the world, had yet to drop a set at Roland Garros until he faced Zverev, who was able to exploit Etcheverry's tendency to be predictable instead of changing directions during rallies. Etcheverry switched up his game in the second set, playing more aggressively and challenging Zverev, but he wasn't able keep up that level of play consistently.

Etcheverry took the second set, but Zverev was in control from that point on. Etcheverry continued to break through every few games in the final sets, pulling off a hold or two with some effervescent play, but Zverev maintained the lead and calmly prevailed.

Before this week, the farthest Etcheverry had ever been at a Grand Slam was the second round at the Australian Open back in January. And Roland Garros' newest underdog was happy to share details about his life with the media. He's loved tennis since he was young, and named his childhood dog after his favorite tournament: Roland Garros. He revealed that his sister died last year of breast cancer, and discussed how he speaks to her during difficult moments on the court.

This was a significant match for Zverev as well. He's made it back to the semifinals, where in 2022 he sustained a horrific ankle injury and was forced to retire against eventual champion Rafael Nadal. He needed surgery and spent the rest of the season recovering instead of competing. Now, a year later, he's returned to the exact same place, and he's clawing himself back into the upper echelon of men's players.

Zverev will face the winner of the match between Casper Ruud and Holger Rune in the semifinals on Friday.