Watch: Bird's feathers delay play at Australian Open, leave Alexander Zverev frustrated

NEW DELHI: In the quarterfinal match between

Alexander Zverev

and

Tommy Paul

at the

Australian Open

, a peculiar incident occurred that drew attention.
During a crucial moment in the second set, when Zverev was trailing by a break,

chair umpire Nacho Forcadell

called for a replay of a point due to a feather dropping into Zverev's line of sight as he was preparing to swing.
Zverev, visibly perplexed, questioned the decision, pointing out the presence of numerous feathers on the court. Despite his objection, the point was replayed, and Paul eventually held serve in that game.
Watch

Earlier in the same game, Zverev had expressed frustration when a spectator shouted "out" during a point. He brought this to the umpire's attention, prompting Forcadell to address the crowd and request that they refrain from such outbursts during play.
Zverev's emotions were already running high, and after losing the subsequent point, he received a warning from the umpire for displaying excessive frustration.
Throughout the match, Zverev's demeanour was closely scrutinised, as he navigated the challenges posed by both external factors, such as the

feather incident

, and his own emotional responses to the intense competition.
The incident highlighted the delicate balance players must strike between maintaining focus and composure while also addressing legitimate concerns or distractions that may arise during high-stakes matches.
The world's second-ranked player prevailed in two tiebreaks under challenging conditions, securing a 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/0), 2-6, 6-1 triumph over the 12th-seeded American opponent.