Hilarious scenes at Cincinnati Open as Tommy Paul accidentally hits chair umpire with his serve during match against Carlos Alcaraz

American tennis player Tommy Paul accidentally hit a chair umpire with his serve against Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday, August 17, in the 2023 Cincinnati Open.

The incident happened in the round of 16 clash when Paul was serving against Alcaraz. The American unleashed a powerful serve that flew straight toward the chair umpire. The umpire could not react in time and was hit on the left side of his face, near his eye.

The impact of the ball made a loud noise and stunned everyone on the court. Paul immediately apologized and ran toward the umpire to check on him. The umpire was visibly shaken but managed to wave off the incident.

"It's okay. It's okay. I just... Maybe I... It's good I didn't see it. That's okay," the umpire reassured Paul who rushed to check on the umpire.

The video clip was shared by TennisTV's official Instagram account on Friday, August 18.

"Tennis Umpire can be a dangerous job ⚠️ @tommypaull," the caption read.

Alcaraz eventually prevailed 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (0-7), 6-3. This was the second meeting between the two within a week. The two recently faced off in the Canadian Open quarterfinals on Saturday, August 12, with Paul defeating Alcaraz in three sets.

"I told everyone that I really wanted [to win] since I lost in Toronto. I came here in Cincinnati and I'm really happy with the level. I think I'm getting better and better. I'm really happy to be in the quarterfinals here," Alcaraz said in the post match interaction.

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Carlos Alcaraz to face Max Purcell in Cincinnati Open quarterfinals

Carlos Alcaraz in Western & Southern Open

The World No. 1 and top seed Carlos Alcaraz will now face the Australian qualifier Max Purcell in the quarterfinals on Saturday, August 19.

Alcaraz, who won his second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last month, is aiming for his fifth ATP Masters 1000 title. The Spaniard has won Miami, Madrid (2022, 2023), and Indian Wells. The 20-year-old Spaniard defeated Jordan Thompson and Tommy Paul en route to the quarterfinals.

World No. 70 Purcell has been the surprise package of the tournament. The Aussie came through the qualifying rounds and then upset two higher-ranked opponents: Casper Ruud and Stan Wawrinka. The 25-year-old Australian is playing in his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal and has already achieved his best result at this level.

This will be the first meeting between Alcaraz and Purcell on the ATP Tour. Alcaraz is the clear favorite to win the match, given his form, skills and performance so far. Purcell, on the other hand, has nothing to lose and will try to cause another upset. He has shown his fighting spirit and resilience in his previous matches.

The match promises to be an exciting clash between two players with contrasting styles and backgrounds. Carlos Alcaraz is known for his aggressive baseline game, powerful forehand, and impressive footwork.

Meanwhile, Max Purcell is more of a serve-and-volleyer, who likes to mix up his shots and use his touch and variety.