Bencic and Paul coasted through the first set but won a total of just 12 points in the second set as the match went into a tiebreak.
Hosts Italy closed in on a third successive Davis Cup title as Flavio Cobolli saved seven match points to beat Belgium's Zizou Bergs in a thriller and seal a 2-0 semi-final victory on Friday.
Japan Open: Alcaraz survives ankle injury scare, advances to second round
Djokovic to face World number 204 Valentin Vacherot next.
Japan Open: Alcaraz marches into quarterfinals, hails "best physio in the world" after overcoming ankle issues
Renata Zarazua, the only Mexican player in the US Open main draw, pulled off a stunning upset by beating sixth seed Madison Keys in the first round.
Tenth seed Lorenzo Musetti rallied from a set down to beat Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday even as Carlos Alcaraz mauled big-serving American Reilly Opelka and veteran Venus Williams made an emotional exit.
American lucky loser Reilly Opelka put up an intense battle to stun top seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5), 7-6(5) and reach the semi-finals in Den Bosch on Friday.
Belgian third seed Elise Mertens dug deep to save 11 match points and battle past two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova to reach the Libema Open final.
MERTENS OVERPOWERS RUSE TO WIN FIRST GRASS TITLE
Safiullin upsets Muller, Moutet through in Mallorca
Amanda Anisimova of the United States won the Qatar Open for her third career title and first since 2022.
Top seed Taylor Fritz of the United States was beaten by Spanish eighth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarter-finals.
Novak Djokovic was stunned 7-6(4), 6-2 by Matteo Berrettini in the Qatar Open first round on Tuesday as the Italian enjoyed his first win over the former world number one.
Rather than being an ambitious opus designed to prove a point by a debutante director, Little Zizou comes across as a paean of affection to the people the filmmaker has known all her life. If that was the primary purpose of the film, mission accomplished. For those hoping for a little light entertainment and the possibility of leaving cinema halls with a smile on their face, Zizou might well be the perfect weekend retreat.
A summary of Friday's action in the Davis Cup group stage matches.
Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored thrice to help his side thrash Espanyol 6-0 in a ruthless attacking display in La Liga clash at Santiago Bernabeu.
Rafael Nadal said he was still in two minds about whether he will play in the French Open.
Nadal was given a stiff test by the 24-year-old in a match which lasted almost three hours on centre court, and now faces Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Images from football matches played across Europe.
India's singles challenge at the US Open qualifiers came to an end as Yuki Bhambri was handed a straight-set defeat by Belgium's Zizou Bergs in the second round in New York.
'To all of these heroic people: football thanks you, football remembers you and football supports you'
Images from Day 2 of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.
Yuki Bhambri advanced to the men's singles second round after a hard-fought win over Moldovian Radu Albot in the US Open qualifiers in New York.
Portugal international Goncalo Guedes fired Valencia into the lead in the 35th minute with a thumping shot from inside the area which was too powerful for Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
'Good football has always been important at this place and I am going to continue that. It has to be offensive football, balanced and nothing else'
David Beckham believes Real Madrid should give his former team mate at the club, Zinedine Zidane, time to succeed even if the French great fails to inspire them to victory in the Champions League final later this month.
France, who were 2-0 up courtesy of Arthur Rinderknech and Adrian Mannarino, faced little resistance from Ecuador as wins for Benjamin Bonzi and the doubles pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicholas Mahut secured victory for the 10-times champions.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo gave a ringing endorsement of new coach Zinedine Zidane and handed a rebuke to his sacked predecessor Rafa Benitez after Sunday's 5-1 La Liga victory at home to Sporting Gijon. Real have comfortably won both their matches since Zidane took over this month, a 5-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna and Sunday's demolition of lowly Gijon, and Ronaldo said the players had a better relationship with the former Real and France great, who is known as 'Zizou', than with the unpopular Benitez. The former Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli manager was discarded after less than half a season in the job after an indifferent run of results left Real trailing city rivals Atletico Madrid and champions Barcelona in La Liga. "To be honest, with some coaches you have more empathy than with others," Ronaldo told reporters after netting a double at the Bernabeu. "The truth is, don't ask me why, that the players have more empathy with Zizou," the Portugal forward added.
Zinedine Zidane is the right man for the job of Real Madrid coach, former team-mate David Beckham said on Monday after the Spanish club sacked Rafa Benitez and replaced him with the French World Cup winner. "Does it get any better than this??," the former England captain, who played with Zidane at Real after joining from Manchester United in 2003, declared on Instagram.
Nagal will meet compatriot Saketh Myneni, who also qualified for the quarter-finals.
Too many egos! too many individualities! It is not only true for France, but most 'great' teams with 'great players'. Zizou believes that 'the collective spirit must be displayed by the team'. He rightly said: 'A World Cup is very short; many will never play again, forget your ego and work together for the team'.
Sooni Taraporevala's humourous, fast-paced and life-affirming story of underdogs Little Zizou is scheduled to open on March 13 in India.
Real Madrid did well to hold Atletico in regulation time and then win the match 4-1 in penalty shootouts.
Real Madrid's interim coach Santiago Solari says the squad are hurting but determined to turn around their dismal start to the season.
With the works of veteran film makers such as Shyam Benegal (Bose, the Forgotten Hero) and Deepa Mehta (Heaven on Earth), as well as first-timers such as Sooni Taraporevala (Little Zizou), the 2008 edition of the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival in New York has a menu of beguiling features and documentaries to suit all tastes.
Zinedine Zidane was warmly welcomed by a nation that has long seen the player of Algerian ancestry as an icon.
How Real Madrid's players reacted to Zinedine Zidane's stepping down as Real Madrid coach.
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