Michael Zheng staged a remarkable comeback in the Cincinnati Open semifinal. The American tennis professional defeated Tunisia's Moez Echargui — Africa's world No. 1 — in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. It was a match that delivered all the drama a Masters 1000 outdoor hard-court semifinal could offer.
Echargui takes the opening set
The first set was closely contested before gradually tilting in Echargui's favour. The Tunisian, who had reached his career-best ranking of No. 134 in late 2025, produced solid baseline tennis and capitalised ruthlessly on Zheng's inconsistencies. With the score at 5-5, Echargui created and converted the key chances to clinch the opener 7-5. Zheng gave away too many break points and, over the course of the match, was notably imprecise, racking up 55 unforced errors.
Zheng turns it around in the second set
The second set saw a completely transformed Zheng. The 22-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia — who won the NCAA singles title in both 2024 and 2025, becoming the first player since Steve Johnson to claim back-to-back crowns — dominated on serve. He won 68 percent of first-serve points and converted his break points with remarkable consistency, finishing the match with a break point conversion rate of 86 percent. Echargui, by contrast, saved just 14 percent of break points faced — a figure that tells the story of the second set, which went to Zheng 6-2.
Zheng holds his nerve in a tense decider
The deciding set was tight and intense. Echargui sought to recapture the form he had shown in the first set, but this time Zheng refused to waver. He held serve in 73 percent of his service games and kept up relentless pressure on return. At 4-4, the match turned decisively: Zheng broke his opponent's serve, then held his own to take the set 6-4.
Overall, the statistics reflected Zheng's superiority in the pivotal moments. He won 53 percent of all points and struck 26 winners to Echargui's 14. Zheng's rise to the top of the game continues in stunning fashion — the American, who was ranked as low as No. 759 in the ATP rankings as recently as 2025, is now in the final of a Masters 1000 tournament. For Echargui, currently Africa's No. 1, the semifinal was both a validation of his level and a sobering reminder that a break point save rate of just 14 percent is not enough at this stage of the game.
