A Day of Drama, Delight, and Technological Debate at the Australian Open

Feathers, Frustration, and Aussie Doubles Delight

1. Zverev Loses His Cool Over a Feather

Alexander Zverev's quarterfinal clash against Tommy Paul was interrupted by a rather unusual incident – a feather. The German player was in the middle of his backswing when a white feather dropped into his eye line. Umpire Nacho Forcadell called a let and ordered a replay of the point, which drew boos from the crowd. Zverev was visibly frustrated, arguing that there were "millions of feathers on the court." This isn't the first time a feather has caused Zverev trouble – a similar incident occurred at the 2020 Australian Open.

2. Lack of Technology in the Spotlight

The lack of technology at the Australian Open was highlighted during the Zverev-Paul match. American player Tommy Paul was furious when the chair umpire missed a let call on his serve in the opening set tiebreaker. "If you don't hear that one or see that one you are not going to see any," Paul said to umpire Nacho Forcadell. Zverev, who benefited from the non-call, also expressed his surprise at the lack of Let Machines at a Grand Slam tournament.

3. Jin Woodman Makes a Grand Slam Debut to Remember

15-year-old Jin Woodman made a dream start to his grand slam career, upsetting Australia's top-ranked Heath Davidson in the men's quad wheelchair draw. The teenager, who entered the tournament as a wildcard, received a rousing reception from the crowd and will now face Turkish fourth seed Ahmet Kaplan in the quarterfinals.

4. Aussie Doubles Teams Shine

There are two all-Australian teams in the semifinals of the mixed doubles after a day of quarterfinal drama. The duos of Kim Birrell and John-Patrick Smith, and Olivia Gadecki and John Peers are both through to the final four. Both teams needed 10-point tiebreakers to advance and will now face British and New Zealand opponents respectively.

5. Alex de Minaur Takes Center Stage on Day 11

The remaining quarterfinals in the men's and women's draw will be played on day 11, with Alex de Minaur getting the headline act on Rod Laver Arena. The Australian will face Jannik Sinner in a highly anticipated clash.