Top seed Alexander Zverev has been knocked out of the Cincinnati Open in the round of 16 by American Tommy Paul, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4, in a rain-disrupted contest lasting two hours and 50 minutes.
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A match point saved in the tiebreak
Zverev controlled the opening set and appeared to be cruising toward the quarterfinals when he earned a match point at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreak. Paul, with his back against the wall, found the composure to save the opportunity. The German netted a backhand on the biggest point of the match, handing his opponent a lifeline. Paul won the next two points to clinch the tiebreak 8-6 and force a decider.
Paul turns the tide after rain delay
A near 90-minute rain shower interrupted play early in the third set. When action resumed, Zverev broke Paul's serve to lead 4-2. The world No. 18 looked finished. Paul then reeled off four consecutive games, rediscovering the aggression and precision that had unsettled the German. The American converted his first match point to seal a 6-4 third set.
Cincinnati loses both top seeds
With Zverev's exit on the men's side and Aryna Sabalenka's shock defeat on the women's side on the same evening, the Cincinnati Open 2026 has lost both its top seeds before the quarterfinals. For Paul, the victory marks his first Cincinnati quarterfinal, a result that underlines his rising form on hard courts ahead of the US Open. The American will face the winner of the match between Flavio Cobolli and Thiago Tirante in the last eight.
Zverev, who arrived in Ohio fresh off a title in Montreal the previous week, sees his US Open buildup disrupted by an unexpected early loss. (Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Majors, SofaScore)
