Tommy Paul is joyful to be by way of to the Dallas Open semifinal however funnily acknowledged that it is most likely time for him to additionally determine the way to play higher in non-indoors tournaments.
On Friday, the No. 3 seed beat fellow American Reilly Opelka within the quarterfinal of an indoor-hard event in Dallas.
For the reason that world No. 9 additionally received the event in his debut final yr, he now owns an ideal 8-0 file on the occasion.
Tommy Paul© Dallas Open/Instagram – Truthful Use
If Paul makes all of it the way in which in Dallas this week, that might be his fifth ATP title but in addition the fourth one which got here in an indoors-tournament – he has one Dallas title, two Stockholm titles (indoor-hard), and he additionally received the grass occasion in Queen’s final yr.
“A quarter of your tour-level semifinals have come indoors. What does that say about your game?” the interviewer requested the American.
The 27-year-old funnily responded: “That’s crazy. I guess it means I need to get better at playing outside.”
Tommy Paul after beating Reilly Opelka in Dallas
“A quarter of your tour level semifinals have come indoors. What does that say about your game?”
Tommy: “that’s crazy. I guess it means I need to get better at playing outside” 😂 pic.twitter.com/KNPO0PO4Df
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 8, 2025 Paul on overcoming Opelka
Early within the match, the No. 3 seed missed out on a complete of three break factors throughout two separate video games.
Nevertheless, within the tie-break, he went on an enormous four-point profitable run to open a 6-2 lead earlier than changing his second set level to win the primary set.
After sealing the opener, Paul broke Opelka within the fourth and eighth video games of the second to finish a two-set win.
“Getting his serve back in the court is pretty tough,” Paul mirrored.
“The ball was moving quick today. I feel like even quicker today than others. Maybe it’s just because I have Reilly serving to me. It was hard to control the ball for both of us, I think.
“We had a pair unfastened errors. When it comes to the friendship stuff we’ve been doing it our complete lives. I’ve performed Reilly now at each degree.
“Before today I hadn’t played him on tour. We handle it pretty well.”
For a place in the Dallas final, Paul plays against Denis Shapovalov.
