Scott Clarke / ESPN Images(MELBOURNE, Australia) — Mischa Zverev defeated world No. 1 Andy Murray in the fourth round of the Australian Open in four sets 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, advancing to the quarterfinals to face Roger Federer.
The unseeded 29-year-old German journeyman completed the massive upset in a match that lasted less than four hours. He told ESPN afterwards, “I didn’t know how I pulled it off.”
There are now only three players who have won a grand slam left in the tournament: Stan Wrawinka, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. The second-ranked player in the world, Novak Djokovic, lost in the second round.
ESPN reports that a year ago, Zverev was ranked 171st in the world, unable to automatically qualify for grand slams. He’s also the lowest ranked player to beat a number one seed since 2004.
Now he’s could crack the top 40 for the first time in his career.
“It means the world to me,” Zverev said afterwards. “It’s just amazing. I don’t know yet how I feel because everything is new to me, and everything feels a little bit unreal.”
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