Tommy Paul is a man of contradictions. An American whose favourite surface is clay. A clay-courter who wants to emulate the net-rushing style of Tim Henman. An accomplished volleyer who likes to come in behind his returns and stay back behind his serve. Go figure.
In Indian Wells, Paul’s singular skillset spelled trouble for Alexander Zverev, who was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) in his first match since the ATP handed him a suspended ban for smashing his racket into the umpire’s chair at last month’s Mexican Open. Zverev’s second loss in two meetings with Paul, who beat him in straight sets in Acapulco two years ago, leaves a gaping hole in the lower half of a draw already shorn of second seed Novak Djokovic. For the many observers who believe the third-seeded German’s behaviour in Acapulco merited stronger action, however, it will be seen as poetic justice.
On a blustery night in the California desert, Paul was the steadier of mind and stroke. With his quick feet and compact strokes, the 24-year-old appeared relatively untroubled by the conditions, serving with conviction and consistency while dumbfounding Zverev with his unalloyed aggression on the return. Like a boxer throwing a series of well-aimed jabs, Paul took the German’s second delivery on the rise, pouncing on the ball from a metre inside the baseline before charging into the forecourt, where he volleyed with authority and imagination.
While Paul approached the contest with a clear game plan, Zverev looked unsettled from the outset. Struggling to find his range and timing, the German was a set down and on the verge of conceding a potentially fatal break by the time he began to find his bearings. But at 15-40 down in the fifth game of the second set, Zverev delivered a thunderous ace that signalled the start of a dramatic comeback. As the world No 3 compiled a run of 24 successive points on serve, Paul faltered for the first time, sending a forehand long as he served to stay in the second set.
Another overhit forehand from the American propelled Zverev to a 4-2 lead in the decider but, with the match seemingly on his racket, the German gifted the break back with a pair of double faults. Sensing his opportunity, Paul began the climactic tiebreak with a raking backhand return that set the tone for a near-flawless display of controlled aggression as he sealed the biggest win of his career.
“I started well, I came to the net a ton and put a lot of pressure on his serve,” said Paul, who will play Alex de Minaur of Australia, the 29th seed, in round three. “He started serving really well there in the second set and even into the third, but I got kind of lucky there when I got down a break. We’ll always take those.”
Alexander Bublik, the 31st seed from Kazakhstan, earlier secured his first win in three meetings with Andy Murray, saving three set points en route to a 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 victory.
“Both of us had some chances there, but in the first set I certainly created more of the opportunities and I didn’t take them,” said Murray, who secured his 700th ATP Tour win against Taro Daniel in the previous round.
“He obviously came up with some good serves at times, but I certainly had my chances and, you know, against players that play that style of tennis and have big serves and [are] not easy to break, you need to, when you get those chances, be ruthless. I just didn’t quite play well enough in those moments.”