Paul Stages Dramatic Comeback in US Open Late-Night Thriller

NEW YORK — Tommy Paul triumphed in an intense match at the US Open that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning, marking one of the tournament’s latest finishes.

The match concluded at 1:46 a.m. after 4 hours and 25 minutes of play, making it the 17th-latest finish in the tournament’s history. Paul, the 14th seed, defeated João Borges of Portugal with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5, to advance to the third round.

“Definitely was happy that it was with the win and not a loss,” Paul said while getting treatment following the match. “It was a blast. It was an emotional roller coaster, for sure.”

Paul initially surged ahead by winning the first two sets and even had match point opportunities to clinch a straight-sets victory. However, he lost the third and fourth sets before rallying to take the fifth set. After gaining a 3-0 lead in the final set, he ultimately secured the win after a tense back-and-forth that culminated in a final shot he described as “all twisted around.”

“I didn’t even know if he made it or not,” Paul said of the final point. “I threw my hands up like I won the point, but I wasn’t actually sure.”

Following the match, Paul expressed gratitude to the fans who remained to cheer him on through the late-night challenge. He suggested that the venue should allow more fans closer to the court during such late matches. “I think that they should open it up so the people at the top can come down,” he said. “But yeah, it’s a late one. Definitely my latest match at the Open.”

Paul will face the 23rd seed in the next round. “It’s fun,” he said. “We’ll be ready for the next one. Totally. It’s what we train for.”

In other matches, top-seeded players including No. 3 seed and No. 8 seed efficiently moved into the third round with straight-set victories. Jannik Sinner, seeded third, defeated his opponent with a convincing 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 scoreline. Alexander Zverev and Alex De Minaur also secured wins with straight sets.

In a significant upset on the day, ninth-seeded faced an unexpected turn when he lost to after initially appearing to be in control of the match.