A year ago, Alexander Zverev found himself drowning in frustration after his shock first-round exit at Wimbledon.

But how things have changed in 12 months for the German. Having struggled mentally and repeatedly described his life a year ago as 'lonely' and that he 'needed therapy,' he was all smiles on Wednesday after reaching the semifinals at the All England Club for the first time in his career.

Zverev finally exorcised his ghosts by winning his first Grand Slam title on his 41st attempt, when he claimed the French Open last month. Now he is just two wins away from joining an elite list of players who have won both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.

To add his name to the list of six men who have achieved this feat in the Open era — Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz — he must overcome British wildcard Arthur Fery, ranked 114th in the world, and also contend with the fervent home crowd.

Zverev knows how to deal with hostile crowds

The second seed said after ending a streak of seven consecutive losses to Taylor Fritz and reaching the semifinals: 'I'm almost 30 years old, I've been on the ATP Tour for a long time. I think I've faced the most hostile crowds, difficult crowds, even unfair crowds sometimes. I think I know how to handle it, and I've learned to manage it. It doesn't bother me.'

During the era of Andy Murray and Tim Henman, it was common to hear the passionate Wimbledon crowd cheering their opponents' mistakes as the pair sought to end Britain's long wait for a men's champion at the All England Club.

After Murray ended 77 years of British heartbreak by winning the title in 2013 and again three years later, Zverev expressed confidence that the crowd would be less biased on Friday.

He said: 'I always feel that the English crowds here, especially in London, are quite fair. Yes, they can be loud and passionate, but I have no problem with that at all. I'm just looking forward to a tough challenge in a Grand Slam semifinal.'

Stich was the last German to win Wimbledon

Given that Zverev is ranked 111 places above the Briton, the world number three appears on paper to be the heavy favorite to bring an unhappy ending to Fery's fairytale story that has captivated the British public.

But as he aims to move one step closer to becoming the first German to lift the famous pineapple-topped Challenge Cup since Michael Stich in 1991, he is careful not to raise his expectations too high.

He said: 'Maybe people overthink it. It's just another tennis match. Of course, it's a big match and a lot is at stake. A place in the Wimbledon final is on the line, and we both certainly know that, but I've learned in the end that a tennis match is just a tennis match. No one is going to die because of it, and no one's life is going to change drastically. We will continue our lives.'

He added: 'I will just try to perform at my best level in tennis, and there's nothing more to it.'