Tommy Paul produced a remarkable comeback at the Cincinnati Open, overcoming rain delays, a match point and a set-and-break deficit to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev in a thrilling three-set battle.
The American looked in serious trouble after returning to the court following another lengthy rain interruption. Zverev had taken the opening set and moved a break ahead, but Paul refused to let the difficult circumstances derail his challenge.
The turning point came in the second-set tie-break, when Paul faced match point. Backed by a vocal home crowd, he held his nerve and saved the opportunity before eventually taking the set to force a decider.
Paul later explained that he simplified his approach when his back was against the wall, focusing on putting more returns into play and making Zverev work for every point.
The match remained difficult to settle in the final set, with another rain interruption adding to the stop-start nature of the contest. Zverev moved ahead 4-2, but Paul again found a way back into the match.
With encouragement from coach Brad Stine, the American won four consecutive games to complete a 2-hour, 51-minute comeback victory and reach the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals for the first time.
Paul's aggressive returning was particularly important. He won 47% of the points played on Zverev's second serve, taking 15 of 32 points and consistently putting pressure on the German's service games.
The victory also strengthens Paul's advantage in their Lexus ATP Head2Head record, with the American now leading Zverev 3-1.
Paul will next face Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals. The Italian earned his place in the last eight after defeating #NextGenATP prospect Rafael Jodar in another three-set contest.
Zverev's elimination was part of a wider run of major upsets in Cincinnati, with several established names falling before the quarter-final stage.
Arthur Fils continued his impressive season by defeating world No. 8 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4. The victory puts Fils into his fifth Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season, making him only the second Frenchman after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2012 to reach that stage at five Masters 1000 events in a single year.
Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante also continued his unexpected run. After stunning Novak Djokovic in the second round, Tirante followed it up by defeating 14th seed Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
The victory makes Tirante only the second active Argentine alongside Francisco Cerundolo to reach a Masters 1000 quarter-final. He will now meet Fils for a place in the semi-finals.
With several top names already out and a number of unexpected contenders still alive, the Cincinnati Open is shaping up for a highly unpredictable finish. Paul's comeback against Zverev has added another major chapter to a tournament that has already delivered plenty of surprises.
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