NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Alexander Zverev went from wondering whether his U.S. Open campaign was "pointless" to preparing for a second final at Flushing Meadows on Friday, as his dramatic turnaround had given him a chance to win a second Grand Slam title.
The German had been pushed to dramatic five sets in each of his first two rounds but has since won four consecutive matches without dropping a set, putting himself one victory away from a second major title after a 6-3 7-6(7) 7-6(6) win over Karen Khachanov.
"I really started off the tournament, and I was like, 'Well, this is pointless because I'm not going to do anything here,' and here I am sitting and preparing for a Sunday final," Zverev told reporters.
The turnaround marks a stark contrast with his first U.S. Open final in 2020, when Zverev also struggled for consistency but still came within two points of beating Dominic Thiem for his maiden Grand Slam title.
"I didn't play well that entire tournament. That never changed, funny enough, and I made it to the final, and I was two points away from winning," Zverev said.
Six years on, the top seed said he was a different player, having gained experience through a string of major finals and, crucially, finally winning his long-awaited Grand Slam crown at this year's Roland Garros.
"I was inexperienced. I was still a young guy," he said of 2020. "Everything is different."
Zverev will now face an American in a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium, either Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton.
The setting could hardly be more different from 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the U.S. Open to be played without spectators and Zverev's loss unfolded inside an eerily empty Ashe.
Rather than fearing a partisan crowd, Zverev said he was looking forward to it.
"I think it's going to be a fantastic feeling playing, you know, a final in a sold-out Arthur Ashe and not in an empty one," he said. "For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they're fair."
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New York; Editing by Kim Coghill)
