Australian Open: Alexander Zverev frustrated at feather call, what time Alex de Minaur plays Jannik Sinner

Day ten of the Australian Open saw several noteworthy events unfold. A German player was infuriated by a feather, a teenage debutant made a strong impression, and an Australian mixed doubles duo enjoyed a double dose of success. In addition, there was analysis of Novak Djokovic's generational prowess amidst the chaos and Paula Badosa's defeat of Coco Gauff to reach the semi-finals.

In Alexander Zverev's quarter-final match against Tommy Paul, a seagull feather became a focal point. Zverev complained to the umpire about crowd interference and the feather falling into his line of sight, leading to a replay of the point. Despite Zverev's frustration, arguing that there were many feathers on the court, the replay proceeded as ruled by the umpire. This wasn't the first time Zverev has been angered by feathers; he was also disturbed by them during the 2020 Australian Open.

The lack of automatic net-cord detection technology at this year's Australian Open has also been a point of contention. Tommy Paul, in his match against Zverev, felt that the umpire missed a net-cord on his serve, causing him to lose a crucial point. While professional tours typically utilize automatic net-cord detection machines, the Australian Open has not adopted it. Zverev also acknowledged that Paul's complained-about net-cord was obvious and found the lack of this technology perplexing given modern advancements. He believes that umpires have a difficult job, especially when viewing the game from an elevated position.

15-year-old Jin Woodman delivered an impressive performance in his Grand Slam debut. The wildcard entrant in the men's quad wheelchair division defeated Australia's highest-ranked Heath Davidson 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-3 in the first round. The crowd cheered enthusiastically for Woodman's performance, and his smile and post-match embrace were particularly memorable. Woodman's next match will be in the quarter-finals against Turkey's fourth seed, Ahmet Kaplan.

In mixed doubles, two Australian pairs successfully advanced to the semi-finals. The wildcard duos of Kim Birrell/John-Patrick Smith and Olivia Gadecki/John Peers both progressed to the semi-finals through tie-break victories. Birrell/Smith will face the British pair of Olivia Nicholls/Henry Patten, while Gadecki/Peers will compete against New Zealand's second seeds, Erin Routliffe/Michael Venus. An all-Australian mixed doubles final is a possibility this weekend, but it is still too early to make predictions.

The remaining quarter-finals for the men's and women's singles will continue on day 11. Alex de Minaur will headline the evening session at Rod Laver Arena. Other matches on the day include Madison Keys against Elina Svitolina, Emma Navarro against Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton against Lorenzo Sonego, and Jannik Sinner against Alex de Minaur. Additionally, there will be several mixed doubles, quad wheelchair, and men's wheelchair matches, as well as junior singles matches.