MELBOURNE, Australia — Alexander Zverev, the second seed, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the fourth time after defeating the 14th seed Ugo Humbert with a score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. The match showcased Zverev’s strong serve, as he delivered 19 aces and garnered a total of 43 winners against Humbert’s 23 during the match held on Sunday night.
Zverev’s next challenge will be against 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul on Tuesday. Paul secured his spot in the quarterfinals by overpowering Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, finishing with a dominant 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory that allowed him to reach his third Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Notably, Zverev came into the tournament with limited preparation due to an arm injury that kept him out of the United Cup team competition. “A week ago, I was very unsure of my level. I was very unsure of my tennis,” Zverev admitted, stating that he couldn’t play many sets during practice and was unable to prepare as thoroughly as he had hoped.
Paul’s victory came in under 90 minutes as he faced a wearied opponent in Fokina, who had previously managed to win his last two matches after dropping the first two sets of each. Paul acknowledged Fokina’s impressive comebacks, saying, “What he did is unreal the past couple matches. To do it twice in a row is amazing.”
In contrast, Paul displayed superiority in terms of points won, amassing 85 points compared to Fokina’s 43. Paul has been employing a lighter practice schedule this week, choosing not to practice between matches as he began his tournament with a five-set match, which had understandably fatigued his body. After the less physically demanding match against Fokina, Paul noted, “My body feels great right now. Especially after the match today, it was a pretty short one.”
Paul’s best performance in a Grand Slam thus far was reaching the semifinals at the 2023 Australian Open, and he aims to replicate that success against Zverev. The German tennis star finished as a runner-up in the finals of both the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2024 French Open, with his previous Australian Open campaign ending in the semifinals last year.
This year, Paul is among four American men who reached the fourth round in Melbourne, joining Ben Shelton, Learner Tien, and Alex Michelsen, who will each compete for a place in the quarters on Monday. Historically, Paul has won both matches played against Zverev, with their most recent encounter dating back to 2022.
Zverev emphasized the need for his best performance to overcome Paul, saying, “I’ve got to play the way I did the first week — hopefully a little bit better.”
