Freed from demons, Zverev eyes rare Roland Garros-Wimbledon double

LONDON, July 8 : A year ago Alexander Zverev found himself swallowed up by a dark hole following a shock first round exit from Wimbledon.

What a difference 12 months has made for the German.

The tortured man who had repeatedly described his existence as being "lonely" and "needing therapy" just 12 months ago was all smiles on Wednesday as he reached the semi-finals at the All England Club for the first time.

Breaking into the Grand Slam winner's circle at the 41st attempt, when he won the French Open last month, has finally freed him from his demons and Zverev now stands just two wins away from joining a select group of players to have completed the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year.

If he is to add his name to the list of six men who have achieved the feat in the professional era — a list that boasts Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz — he will not only have to overcome 114th-ranked British wildcard Arthur Fery but also a fervent home crowd.

ZVEREV KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE A HOSTILE CROWD

"I'm almost 30 years old, I've been on tour for long enough. I feel like I've seen the most hostile crowds, I've seen tough crowds, I've seen unfair crowds as well. I feel like I should know how to handle it, I've learned how to handle it. I'm okay with it," the second seed said after ending a seven-match losing run against Taylor Fritz to reach the semi-finals.

During the heyday of Andy Murray and Tim Henman, frenzied Wimbledon crowds could often be heard cheering the mistakes of their opponents as the duo looked to end the home nation's long, long search for a men's champion at the All England Club.

With Murray having ended 77 years of British heartbreak in 2013 before lifting the