‘Hands are shaking’: Unbeaten Medvedev books ATP semi-final slot (VIDEO)

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev saw off Alexander Zverev of Germany to book a spot in the last four of the ATP Finals in Turin, with the Russian producing some typically colorful moments along the way.

Medvedev edged out Zverev in a third-set tie-break to clinch the match 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6), but was made to work for it by the dogged third seed.

The win is the seventh in a row for Medvedev at the season-ending Finals, which he won last year in London.

The big Russian, 25, is also unbeaten in his last five meetings with the 24-year-old Zverev, having lost the first four matches between the pair at senior level.

In Tuesday’s decisive tiebreak the Pala Alpitour, Zverev saved two match points only to fire a backhand into the net on a third, ending the contest after two hours and 35 minutes.

As is more often than not the case with Medvedev there were antics to accompany the tennis, including when a tight foot-fault call went against him.

Signing off for the camera at the end of the match, Medvedev wrote “Not tight but hands are shaking” on the lens.

The US Open champion was assured of first place in Red Group in Turin when rival Matteo Berrettini was later forced out due to injury.

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz will meet Italy’s Jannik Sinner later on Tuesday, with Sinner stepping in for countryman Berrettini.

Zverev can still make the semi-finals and meets Hurkacz in his final round-robin match in a bid to seal a spot in the last four.

In the Green Group, the action continues on Wednesday as top seed Novak Djokovic meets Russia’s Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece plays Norway’s Casper Ruud.

There is bumper prize money on offer in Turin. If the winner of the men’s singles manages to go undefeated throughout the event, he will walk away with a cool $2,316,000.

READ MORE: ‘See you in January’: Did Daniil Medvedev just clear up Australian Open vaccine status row?

Already looking ahead to next season, Russian ace Medvedev recently announced that he would be playing in January’s Australian Open.

That decision seemingly cleared up speculation surrounding Medvedev’s Covid-19 vaccine status.

The Russian has not stated publicly whether he has received a Covid jab but said that anyone playing in Melbourne would “clearly be vaccinated.”

Elsewhere, 20-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has not publicly revealed his vaccine status, saying he would wait for an official decision from Australian Open organizers on their policy for vaccinated and unvaccinated players before making a decision on whether he would participate in Melbourne.