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Tommy Paul has produced a major upset at the Cincinnati Masters, saving a match point before defeating top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP-WTA tournament.
The American fought back in a dramatic contest that was interrupted by rain several times, including a 90-minute delay during the seventh game of the second set. Two additional five-minute stoppages followed as officials worked to clear moisture from the court.
Zverev, the French Open champion, looked close to sealing victory when he held a match point at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreak. However, the German missed a crucial volley into the net, allowing Paul to stay alive and force a deciding set.
The fifth-ranked American then showed his resilience after falling behind 4-2 in the final set. Paul immediately broke back and added another break for a 5-4 advantage before confidently serving out the match.
The victory marked Paul’s third win over Zverev in their last four meetings and extended his strong run heading into the US Open.
“I’m not sure how I did it,” Paul said. “I put some returns in, he gave me some looks at second serves and he threw in a few doubles faults. That always helps a ton.”
He added that he became more aggressive as the match progressed.
“I went after the ball a bit more, I was having fun out there. I hope I can keep building on this and peak at the US Open,” Paul said.
Paul will next face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, who survived another three-set battle to defeat rising Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Cobolli has now won all three of his Cincinnati matches in deciding sets and reached his second Masters-level quarter-final of the season. The Italian said belief helped him overcome a difficult challenge.
“At the end of the second set and start of the third I told myself to believe, try on every point,” Cobolli said. “I knew I had a chance.”
He also credited his physical condition for making the difference against Jodar.
“At the end I deserved to win as I was fresher than him,” Cobolli said.
Argentina’s Thiago Tirante has continued his impressive Cincinnati campaign after following up his second-round victory over Novak Djokovic with another comeback win. Tirante defeated Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first Masters quarter-final.
Frenchman Arthur Fils also advanced after defeating fifth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4.
In the women’s draw, defending champion Iga Swiatek has reached another Cincinnati quarter-final after beating France’s Diane Parry 6-3, 6-3.
The seventh-seeded Pole needed four match points to close out the match and secure her fourth consecutive quarter-final appearance in Cincinnati, as well as her 30th at WTA 1000 level.
Swiatek will face Elena Rybakina in a repeat of last week’s Toronto final. Rybakina defeated Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4 to set up the meeting.
“I was solid, even if I had to put more energy into my shots since she was hitting so much slice,” Swiatek said.
Elsewhere, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk recovered from a set down to beat French Open winner Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, while Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova exited after losing 6-1, 6-4 to Amanda Anisimova.
Anisimova will meet third seed Jessica Pegula, who defeated Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in another weather-affected match.
