Rain, opponent drive Zverev to distraction

Alexander Zverev wanted a match point and lost a late lead as the top seed crashed out of the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 to American Tommy Paul in the fourth round.

Roland Garros winner had a win in hand leading 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker but was unable to convert.

He broke for a 4-2 lead in the third set only to lose serve twice more as the newly married Paul served into the quarter-finals to wrap up a contest interrupted for 90 minutes by rain and required two more short pauses to wipe down wet lines on the court.

“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.

“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.”

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Paul lines up against the man Zverev beat in the French Open final two months ago, Flavio Cobolli.

The Italian needed two and a half hours to see off keen Spanish teen Rafael Jodar 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3, marking third win for Cobolli in that series of three-setters.

Cobolli will play his second Masters quarter-final of 2026 after Madrid in the spring.

“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.

“Rafa has had an unbelievable season but maybe he was a bit tired. At the end I deserved to win as I was fresher than him.  

“I pushed to my limit to get through. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m really strong.”

There was a surprise win for Thiago Tirante, who upset Novak Djokovic in the second round. The Argentine advanced over Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 into his first Masters quarter-final.

Australian Alex de Minaur was no match for Frenchman Arthur Fils, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the fifth seed.

Main photo:- Tommy Paul beating top seed Alexander Zverev in Cincy – by Cincinnati Open