Comeback of the year? Paul saves 5 MPs, shocks Tabilo
Tommy Paul earned one of the best comeback wins of the season on Sunday in Shanghai.
Nineteenth seed Alejandro Tabilo led the 11th seed 7-6(2), 5-1 and earned five match points on his serve at 5-2, but was unable to close out the match. Paul took full advantage, rallying for a 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-2 victory in two hours and 43 minutes for a place in the Round of 16 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Paul SURVIVES 💪@TommyPaul1 came from a set down and saved 5 match points to defeat Tabilo 6-7 7-6 6-2 😤@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/gwQrJxqJhz
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 6, 2024
Tabilo has enjoyed the best season of his career and looked ready to continue it with an impressive victory against Paul. But the Chilean made an error on three of his match points and Paul hit an overhead winner on another. On the lefty’s final match point, he put pressure on Paul by closing the net, but the American hit a perfect crosscourt backhand passing shot to escape.
Paul won 12 of the match’s final 15 games and converted four of his 13 break points according to Infosys ATP Stats to earn a showdown against in-form 30th seed Tomas Machac or qualifier Aleksandar Vukic.
With his victory, the 27-year-old Paul climbed past Grigor Dimitrov into 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, within 425 points of eighth-placed Novak Djokovic. Paul is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
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Paul now leads Tabilo 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and both of their meetings have come this year. The American was also victorious 6-3, 6-4 on grass at Queen’s Club.