Zverev Advances After Feather Drama at Australian Open

Zverev reacts to feather interruption during Australian Open quarterfinal.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Alexander Zverev found himself at the center of an unusual incident during his Australian Open quarterfinal victory over Tommy Paul when a bird’s feather caused a controversial officiating decision. The second-seeded Zverev was leading 4-2 in the second set when chair umpire Nacho Forcadell ordered a point replayed after spotting a white feather falling into Zverev’s eyeline during his backswing.

Zverev expressed his frustration on the court, sarcastically pointing out the abundance of feathers on the court to the umpire. “What? A feather? There are millions of them on the court. There’s one there. There’s one there,” he said while holding up a feather and gesturing to others. Despite the disruption, Zverev regained his composure to secure a 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1 victory and advance to the semifinals.

After the match, Zverev admitted the feather incident was a first in his career. “Not sure it was a hindrance to anybody. It’s not like a hard object. Like even if the tennis ball hits the feather, it doesn’t change anything,” he said, laughing about the peculiar episode.

Earlier in the match, Zverev was unsettled by a spectator yelling “out” during a point, prompting a complaint to Forcadell, who asked the crowd to refrain from shouting during play. Following the feather delay, Zverev paused at the net to collect himself before returning to action. “Maybe the umpire made the right call, and maybe not. I have no idea,” Zverev said afterward. “But it was a bit frustrating because Tommy then would get a first serve, and he won the point with that serve as well.”

Despite the challenges, Zverev saved a set point, recovered a service break, and dominated the tiebreakers in the first two sets. He acknowledged Paul’s superior play in those sets but credited his ability to capitalize on key moments. “I feel like I stole both sets because he was playing better than me and serving for both sets,” Zverev admitted. “In the tiebreak, I played quite well. He maybe missed a little bit more than he should have. I’m happy I won in four sets because this was difficult.”

Paul, seeded 12th, also faced his share of officiating frustrations when a serve he believed clipped the net was not called a let. The Australian Open does not use automatic let-detection systems, which Paul noted after the match. “I hit a serve, a lot, but the chair didn’t see it. I didn’t know that there was no automatic … let machine here,” Paul said, although he acknowledged the incident did not decide the match.

Zverev echoed Paul’s concerns, criticizing Grand Slam events’ lack of let-detection technology. “Every single corner of everything has a camera. We have a video review of all the high-end technologies that we can have. But a simple LET machine we’ve been using for the past 25 years is not available at a Grand Slam?” Zverev questioned. He also sympathized with Paul, admitting the serve in question was obvious. “It was an incredibly clear let,” Zverev said. “I didn’t know what to do in that situation. I must continue playing because I lose points if there’s no call, and I stop playing.”

Despite the unusual circumstances, Zverev’s resilience and ability to navigate key moments carried him through to the semifinals, where he will look to maintain his muscular form.