By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 12, 2021
Tommy Paul fired 41 winners edging compatriot Frances Tiafoe 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-4 to advance to his first ATP final at the Stockholm Open.
Photo credit: Getty
Leaning low, Tommy Paul dabbed an audacious drop volley that dribbled over the net like yellow paint on grey canvas.
Artistic net play prompted a roar from the crowd—and a sarcastic middle finger salute from Frances Tiafoe to his buddy.
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In an all-American semifinal, Paul blended attack and defense superbly topping Tiafoe 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-4 to advance to his first ATP final at the Stockholm Open.
The 53rd-ranked Paul produced sharp shot-making under pressure and exploited a sloppy game from Tiafoe, who served for the final at 7-5, 6-5 only to see his compatriot break back at 30.
Paul pounded 17 of his 41 winners in the final set and won 20 of the last 22 points played on his serve in a stirring two hour, 30 minute win.
The 24-year-old Paul will play Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov in tomorrow's Stockholm final. The third-seeded Shapovalov stopped second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-5 in today's all-Canadian semifinal.
Forty-two minutes into the match, Tiafoe’s persistence paid off on his fourth break point. Tiafoe angled a slice approach pinning Paul in the corner and coaxing a backhand lob long. Tiafoe pumped his fist with hard-fought break and a 6-5 lead in hand.
Little separated the pair in the opening set—Tiafoe won 39 points to 37 for Paul. Ultimately, Tiafoe’s edge was his explosiveness and willingness to go for it at crunch time.
Facing break point serving for the set, Tiafoe torched a gutsy second serve down the T to deny it. Dancing around his backhand, Tiafoe flashed a forehand down the line for set point and closed in 51 minutes on an angled drop shot.
Paul dodged a break point to start the second set then Tiafoe lost the plot dumping a double fault, missing a rally shot and scattering a drop shot wide to donate serve and a 2-0 lead. Tiafoe won three of the next four games to draw even after six games.
Deep Tiafoe strikes drew a netted forehand from Paul as Tiafoe scored his third break of the match to pull ahead 6-5 and chart his course for the final.
Serving for the final, Tiafoe saved break points but tightened up and double faulted into net dropping serve to send the set into a tiebreaker.
Down 3-4 in the breaker, Paul produced a slick half-volley winner off his shoelaces. That crazy-cool shot elicited a roar from fans, including former Swedish standout Thomas Enqvist, and left a stunned Tiafoe sarcastically extend the middle finger salute to his friend.
That shot pumped up Paul who pounded a forehand winner down the line for set point at 6-5. Working the width of the court, Paul crunched a forehand winner down the opposite sideline to force a final set after one hour, 53 minutes.
Some electric all-court exchanges highlighted the second and third sets with both men clocking running strikes.
Three games into the third set, Tiafoe got too cute and casual with a drop shot. Paul read it, sped up to the shot and shoveled a backhand pass to break for a 2-1 third-set lead he never relinquished.
Paul stamped love holds in three of his final five service games to power into his first ATP final.