Tommy Paul survived a brutal five-set epic that completed at 1:46 am to struggle his well beyond Nuno Borges and into the third spherical of the US Open early Friday.
The 14th-seeded American finally made it rely after 4 hours and 45 minutes to pull through 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5 in New York.
Late-night finishes in tennis have been a recurring theme, particularly at the Australian Open and the US Open, where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner accomplished their 2022 quarter-final at 2:50 am.
Paul could have had a comparatively early night time with two match factors in the third set, but he failed to take them and a newly energised Borges threatened to make him pay.
With the time in the “city that never sleeps” ticking previous 1:00 am and the Arthur Ashe Stadium principally empty, the gruelling encounter went to a deciding fifth set.
There was again nothing between them, with Portugal’s Borges — who is ranked 41 in the world — refusing to go away as he fought back from 3-0 down in the fifth.
Paul finally sealed the deal at 1:46am with a thrilling rally on his third match level, the exhausted pair exchanging a heat embrace at the internet after an attritional battle.
“A little bit tired now, I’m sure we all are,” Paul informed the spectators that remained until the finish.
“First I want to say thank you to you guys for staying so late and supporting me.”
The 28-year-old added: “Definitely cool to get a win.”
He will play the Twenty third-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan next.
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