Madrid: World no. 3 Alexander Zverev reached the semi-finals of the Madrid Open after defeating Flavio Cobolli in straight sets on Thursday in the quarter-finals. Zverev, who claimed the Madrid title in 2018 and 2021 and was the runner-up in 2022, overcame the 13th-ranked Italian 6-1, 6-4. According to Qatar News Agency, Zverev is set to face Alexander Blockx in the semi-finals. Blockx advanced to this stage by knocking out defending champion Casper Ruud, who is ranked 15th in the world. Blockx defeated Ruud 6-4, 6-4, marking his first appearance in the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 event.