Alexander Zverev shook off a slow start to beat Wawrinka. (Reuters)
Alexander Zverev has reached the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career by eliminating three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka in four sets at Melbourne Park.
Zverev shook off a slow start to beat Wawrinka 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on the hottest afternoon of the tournament so far.
The 15th-seeded Wawrinka won the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2015 and the U.S. Open in 2016. His signature backhand gave him a lot of trouble over the last three sets Wednesday.
Zverev is a 22-year-old German who is seeded seventh. He came into the day 0-2 in major quarterfinals.
Zverev faces Rafael Nadal or Dominic Thiem next.
