Zverev advances to ATP semifinals

After reaching the last four at the ATP Finals for the first time, Alexander Zverev isn’t satisfied.

He set up a semifinal with six-time champion Roger Federer by defeating John Isner 7-6 (5), 6-3 Friday.

Zverev is the youngest player at 21 to reach the semi- finals since 2009 and the first from Germany since 2003.

“The tournament isn’t over,” Zverev said. “I don’t want to really be thinking, ‘I’m in the semifinals now, I’m satisfied.’ That’s not how I work.”

Isner and Marin Cilic, who later lost 7-6 (7), 6-2 in a dead rubber against group winner Novak Djokovic, were elim- inated by the result.

Five-time champion Djokovic will face debutant Kevin Anderson in the other semifinal today.

Isner needed to win in straight sets to have any chance of advancing and almost took the lead when he held a set point in the 12th game of the opener. Zverev saved it with an ace and played a faultless tiebreaker to eliminate the American.

“You make this tourna- ment, you want to do a little bit better,” said Isner, the University of Georgia prod- uct who lost all three of his matches. “But at the same time this is no normal event. You’re up against the abso- lute best in the world.”

ODDS AND ENDS

MLB: Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias was hired to rebuild the Balti- more Orioles, who traded many star players last season before finishing with the worst record in the majors. Elias will be executive vice president and general manager and “oversee all baseball operations for the club and have full autonomy to build his staff and make decisions on all baseball matters,” the Orioles said in a statement.

■ World Series MVP Steve Pearce is staying with the Red Sox. The journeyman first baseman agreed to a $6.25 million, one-year contract.

Gymnastics: Longtime USA Gymnastics chief operating officer Ron Galimore resigned Friday, the latest high-profile departure for the embattled organization in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal. The move came as USA Gymnastics is facing decertification of its status as the national governing body for the sport amid concerns about its leadership and the way it handled complaints against Nassar. The former team doctor is now serving decades in prison for sexual assault and possession of child pornography.