Alexander Zverev escapes Tommy Paul, reveals AO night match request was “denied very quickly”

For Alexander Zverev, Tuesday yielded his third trip to the Australian Open semifinals this decade.

For Tommy Paul, Tuesday resulted in losing a significant match that arguably got away.

The No. 2 seed took the first men’s quarterfinal of this year's event, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1, after three hours and 22 minutes, but easily could have found himself facing a serious deficit against an opponent he was winless against in two previous meetings. Instead, Zverev awaits the winner of a primetime special between 10-time champion Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.

“It tried to request the night match but I was denied very quickly,” Zverev joked with Jim Courier afterwards.

“I absolutely love playing night matches here. I just feel the ball so well on my racquet and during the day, I kind of struggle a little bit more.

“Of course, I totally understand that Novak against Carlos is the highlight match. It’s probably the highlight match of the whole tournament.”

Two of the best players that probably ever touched a tennis racquet. Novak is the greatest of all time right now. Carlos is going to be one of them when he hangs it up. It’s a privilege to witness here in Australia, so please guys do enjoy it. Alexander Zverev on Alcaraz-Djokovic QF

Paul served for both of the opening two sets, at 6-5 in the first and 5-3 in the second. Zverev saved a set point on the American’s serve before taking the opener, then erased another on his serve after breaking back in the second.

The pair of crucial tie-breaks were all Zverev. The German did not produce a single unforced error, combining for six winners (one ace). Paul, meanwhile, donated four unforced errors and his lone point on the scoreboard across both was an ace in the deuce court.

After the 2023 Melboourne semifinalist reset, Zverev, perhaps conserving energy with the level his opponent displayed late in the third set, locked back in. The two-time major runner-up tore apart Paul’s serve in winning 14 of 24 return points.

“To be honest, I should have been down two sets to love,” felt Zverev. “He served for both of those sets, he played better than me. I was not playing great and I thought he was.

“In the fourth set, it was definitely the best that I played.”

Zverev has dropped just two sets en route to the final four. As for his take on the latest installment of Alcaraz versus Djokovic?

“Absolutely boring matchup. No reason for staying here after you’ve just witnessed Zverev-Paul,” the Hamburg native cheekily began. “Two of the best players that probably ever touched a tennis racquet. Novak is the greatest of all time right now. Carlos is going to be one of them when he hangs it up.

“It’s a privilege to witness here in Australia, so please guys do enjoy it. I think it’s gonna be a great match.”

In his 2020 maiden major semifinal here, Zverev fell to best friend Dominic Thiem in four sets. A year ago, he came within two points of advancing to championship Sunday before Daniil Medvedev stormed back from two sets down to prevail in a classic after four hours and 18 minutes.