Tsitsipas beats Medvedev & faces Alexander Zverev

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas showed his superior clay-court quality against Russian rival Daniil Medvedev to reach the French Open semi-finals.

Medvedev opted for an underarm serve on match point - which Tsitsipas dubbed "a very millennial shot" after putting it away to seal a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 win.

It ended Medvedev's surprisingly deep run on clay and put Tsitsipas into a third straight Grand Slam semi-final.

Tsitsipas, 22, faces German sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the last four.

Zverev advanced to the last four for the first time with a 6-4 6-1 6-1 win over Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who later said he had been hampered by a back injury.

Like Tsitsipas, Zverev is also aiming to win his first Grand Slam by lifting the title in Paris on Sunday.

"It is very nice to be in the semi-finals but just being there doesn't satisfy me," Zverev, 24, said.

"I am playing pretty OK and hope to play the same way - and even better - in the semi-finals."

 Tsitsipas keeps a cool head for rare win over Medvedev

After Zverev's victory, attention swiftly turned to the highly-anticipated evening match between Tsitsipas and Medvedev, whose contrasting personalities on and off the court have added to a burgeoning rivalry.

A fast-paced match packed with beautiful shot-making, energetic rallies and momentum swings - even before that sensational moment which enabled Tsitsipas to secure victory - ensured the pair delivered a compelling contest.

Second seed Medvedev, 25, had won six of their seven previous meetings, but has never felt as comfortable on the surface as his opponent.

Tsitsipas has won three of his seven ATP titles on the red dirt, including Monte Carlo and Lyon this year, while Medvedev had not won a match at Roland Garros until this year.

The Greek looked intent on making a fast start and suffocated Medvedev in an opening set which he won with a minimum of fuss.

Another break early in the second set seemingly put Tsitsipas in command, only for the Russian to shift momentum back his way - almost out of nowhere - to level and then tee up two set points at 5-4.

Medvedev had a look at a second serve on the first but hit a weak backhand into the net, then pushed a forehand wide as the chances were lost.

After Tsitsipas dominated the tie-break for a two-set lead, Medvedev rallied in the third by breaking for a 3-2 advantage before the Greek fought back again.

Frustration bubbled over as the set began to slip away from Medvedev, who told the umpire at 5-4 that "If I lose the match it is your fault" after a dispute over a flashing scoreboard where the Russian felt he should have got another first serve.