Each week, American Tommy Paul can focus when he has to, and when he has a real chance to win a title, he can explode on the court.
Paul grabbed it, beating the once No. 2 Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in Stockholm. He has now won three titles, and while he is 27 years old, he has improved a lot over the past two years. He is so consistent, and he likes to have long rallies. However, five years ago, he was decent but not fantastic. Now, if he can, he could reach into the top 10 for the first time. Currently, he is ranked No. 12. As he said, he realizes that the top 10 is very important, and he admitted that.
“I am not too focused on the ATP finals; I am trying to break into the top ten. That has been a goal for me this year, and, I am three spots away, and those three spots aren’t easy,” he said.“I am trying my best this week and the rest of the season. We have three or four more weeks, so if I can put together a good string of tournaments, who knows.”
He will have to try. He played very well on the grass, winning London, Queen, but after he lost at Wimbledon, he went down, but in Europe in the fall, he finally rose. He is not the hardest hitter, but he can mix it up. His first serve is effective, and it is OK on the net. Yet he can almost put it back, more profound, when he can. He can win a good amount, but he must go deep again to catch into the top eight with the ATP Finals.
He will play next week in Vienna. Sprinting on the court will be tough physically, but he will be enthusiastic. When you win, you can smile.