London: Alexander Zverev cleared one of the biggest hurdles in his bid for the Wimbledon title by snapping a lengthy losing run against Taylor Fritz with a 6-4 6-4 6-2 win to make the semi-finals and stay on track for back-to-back Grand ‌Slam triumphs.Having ⁠come ⁠up short in his last seven clashes with Fritz, including at the All England Club in 2024, French Open champion Zverev finally turned the tables with an assured display for a last-four meeting with Arthur Fery, who beat Flavio Cobolli.The German second seed rode ​an early break to a 5-4 ⁠lead and ‌let out a roar of relief after ​fending off ​a late fightback from Fritz in the 10th ⁠game to win the opening set under the ​blazing sun on Court One.Zverev turned up ​the heat again in the next set after Fritz received a medical timeout for a niggling right knee issue after three games, and the 29-year-old celebrated emphatically after seizing a crucial break that left his opponent on the ropes.The ‌crowd erupted in cheers a few moments later when news trickled in that Briton Fery had ​gone ahead ​two sets to ⁠love on Centre Court and Zverev soon followed suit with a comfortable hold to move further clear as Fritz's hopes began ​to fade.Zverev hit a scintillating backhand winner to seal a double break at 4-1 in the third set, which he closed out with minimum fuss to reach his maiden semi-final at the grasscourt major and 12th overall.