HALLE, Germany (AP) — Alexander Zverev was hoping for shorter matches on grass. Think again. The No. 4-ranked Zverev had to battle back to beat 20-year-old Arthur Fils 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in 2 1/2 hours on Friday for a spot in the semifinals of the Halle Open. Zverev, still in search of his first grass-court title, wanted to make quick work of opponents after some marathon sessions at the French Open, where he reached the final. “After the French Open, I was hoping on grass I would play a bit quicker and not play for two-and-a-half, three hours every single match, but I’m continuing what I always do,” Zverev joked. The second-seeded Zverev needed three sets to get past qualifier Oscar Otte in the first round, then eliminated Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets. Zverev, a two-time runner-up in Halle, next faces Hubert Hurkacz, who beat Marcos Giron 7-6 (5), 6-4. New world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was taken the distance for a third straight match when he overcame Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3). Struff hit 18 aces and saved 16 of 18 break points but lost to Sinner for the third time this year. Sinner, who has yet to play a seed, will face Zhang Zhizhen, who beat Christopher Eubanks of the U.S. 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Zhang has become the first Chinese man to reach a tour-level semifinal on grass in the Open era. ___ AP tennis: