Tennis Planet.me

Quiz question.

One ATP player successfully used a unique tactic to reach Slam final multiple times, heck, consecutive times - @ one Slam.

What tactic. Who player. What Slam.

 

HINT: Czech.

Nadal's record @ Cincinnati Masters.

12 appearances.

1 title (2013).

 

ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.2013.08.12 - 2013.08.18

SGL 56 DBL 24   O Hard   Prize Money $3,079,555   Total Financial Commitment $3,729,155

 

Round	Rank	Opponent	W-L	Score
Finals	22	John Isner	W	768 763
Semi-Finals	6	Tomas Berdych	W	75 764
Quarter-Finals	5	Roger Federer	W	57 64 63
Round of 16	29	Grigor Dimitrov	W	62 57 62
Round of 32	100	Benjamin Becker	W	62 62
Round of 64		Bye

Seeds: 2022 Cincinnati Masters - with Nadal and without Djokovic (possibly?).

1.    Daniil Medvedev

2.    Rafael Nadal

3.    Carlos Alcaraz

4.    Stefanos Tsitsipas

5.    Novak Djokovic

6.    Casper Ruud

7.    Andrey Rublev

8.    Félix Auger-Aliassime

9.    Hubert Hurkacz

10.    Cameron Norrie

11.    Jannik Sinner

12.    Taylor Fritz

13.    Matteo Berrettini

14.    Diego Schwartzman

15.    Marin Čilić

16.    Reilly Opelka

Monfils Forced To Retire With Injury vs Draper | Montreal 2022.

 

 

REAL reason Kyrgios is on this crazy winning streak.

Assault charges and court appearance.

You see hear and smell, when the result of your actions is imminent and staring in your body part(s), you go for broke and most often that results in extra ordinary results.

Need freaking evidence? Of course, you freaking do.

You know that match between Sinner and Djokovic @ 2022 Wimbledon? For rock people, Sinner won the first TWO sets before Djokovic won the other three.

Same principle in action - with a slight twist.

Sinner had nothing to lose - just as Kyrgios does NOT now - and the rest is history - for two sets. And then he realized 'Hey, I can win this' and the rest is history - for the next three sets.

Don't believe it? Watch what happens after he is done with his court thingy.

U.S. Open Ticket Sales Boom After Serena Retirement News.

Tennis fans are rushing for one last opportunity to see Serena Williams compete as a professional tennis player.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion—and highest-paid female athlete of all time—announced Tuesday morning that this year’s U.S. Open would be her last pro event. The USTA says that over the course of the day, it sold more than 16,500 tickets, a massive spike in interest. The day before, for example, about 3,200 tickets were sold, which the USTA says is a normal day in the weeks leading up to the event.

Interest is especially large for opening night, a slot where Williams typically makes her U.S. Open debut. More than 4,500 tickets were sold on Tuesday for that night alone, the USTA said.

Williams will retire as one of the most dominant tennis players of all time. Her 23 Grand Slam singles titles are more than any other player—man or woman—in the Open Era. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and spent 319 weeks as the WTA’s top-ranked singles player.

Off the court she’s been equally influential. Her $450 million in career earnings is top among all female athletes, including more than $350 million in endorsements since turning pro in 1995. She won $94.6 million in career prize money on the WTA Tour, more than double that of her sister Venus, who ranks second at $42.3 million. Her investments include a minority piece of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, plus equity in Impossible Foods and Tonal.

Williams announced her retirement in a cover story that she wrote for Vogue. She cited her desire to spend more time with her investment fund, Serena Ventures, and to expand her family with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Their only daughter, Olympia, was born in 2017.

The U.S. Open, which runs from Aug. 29-Sept. 11, is critically important to the USTA’s bottom line. The event accounted for 85% of the organization’s $477 million in revenue last year, according to its annual filing.

https://sports.yahoo.com/u-open-ticket-sales-boom-140722724.html

Tennis world reacts to Serena Williams’ retirement news.

Click here.

Alcaraz ousted in Montreal Masters opener.

 

Tommy Paul spoiled the Canadian debut of Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday, toppling the second-seeded Spaniard 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 at the Montreal Masters.

The unseeded American converted his fifth match point to seal the second-round victory in three hours and 20 minutes.

Alcaraz came into the event with two prestige Masters 1000 titles from Miami and Madrid and holding a 42-7 record this season.

But the 34th-ranked Paul claimed victory on a volley winner after holding off the Spaniard's charge from 5-2 down in the third set.

"It was nice to finish this match at the net," said Paul, who fired 36 winners to Alcaraz's 33. "I did a lot of things well today.

"I played a good level of tennis, comfortable tennis. I'm happy to get through and now have to recover for tomorrow."

Paul fired 36 winners to Alcaraz's 33.

Fourth seed Casper Ruud backed up his defeat earlier this season of Alex Molcan, beating the Slovakian 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in just under two hours.

The Norwegian with three trophies so far in 2022 had to work to win the opening set after dropping serve as he tried to close it out leading 5-4.

It eventually took a tiebreaker for Ruud to prevail. He sealed his third-round place in straight sets for his 36th win of the season.

"We played in Munich so we know each other's games well," Ruud said. "It's always a tough fight against him.

"He's very fast and can give everyone problems," he added of the player coached by Novak Djokovic's former mentor Marian Vajda.

https://sports.yahoo.com/alcaraz-ousted-montreal-masters-opener-190116637.html

Nadal says he will play at Cincinnati in US Open boost.

Rafael Nadal boosted his hopes of competing at the US Open on Wednesday by announcing he will play in next week's Cincinnati Masters.

"Very happy to play again in Cincy. Flying there tomorrow," the 36-year-old wrote on Instagram.

World number three Nadal has not played since suffering an abdominal tear at Wimbledon last month which forced him to withdraw from his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.

Nadal, who has won the Australian and French Open titles this year to take his Grand Slam total to a record 22, skipped this week's Montreal Masters to aid his injury recovery.

The Spaniard hasn't played in Cincinnati, where he was champion in 2013, for five years.

Nadal will be seeking a fifth US Open title when the final major of the season gets underway in New York on August 29.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nadal-says-play-cincinnati-us-190643653.html

Serena loses 1st match since saying she’s prepared to retire.

 

National Bank Open Toronto - Day 5

TORONTO — Serena Williams wore her game face when she stepped out into the stadium for her first match since telling the world she is ready to leave professional tennis.

Greeted by a standing ovation, the 23-time Grand Slam champion didn’t smile. She didn’t wave. She took a sip from a plastic bottle as she walked in. Some folks in the crowd captured the moment with the cameras on their cellphones. Others held aloft hand-drawn signs – oh, so many signs – with messages such as “Queen” or “Thank you.”

No one knows exactly how many more matches Williams will play before she puts her rackets away for good, and the 40-year-old American exited the National Bank Open with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic.

While there were some familiar fist pumps and yells of “Come on!” during competition, it was only afterward that Williams really allowed her feelings to show, her voice shaking and her eyes welling during an on-court interview when Bencic ceded the spotlight.

“A lot of emotions, obviously,” Williams told spectators who offered her encouragement throughout the clear, 75-degree evening.

The second-round match at the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open came a day after she announced “the countdown has begun” on her playing career, saying she wants to have another child and pursue business interests.

She did not state precisely what her last event will be, but did make it sound as if her final farewell will come at the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 29 in New York. Williams has won the singles title at Flushing Meadows a half-dozen times – first in 1999; most recently in 2014 – to go along with seven championships apiece at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, plus three at the French Open.

“It’s been a pretty interesting 24 hours,” Williams said after the match.

“I’m terrible at goodbyes,” she added, her hand on her chest, “but goodbye, Toronto!”

Next up on her schedule is the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati next week, another event that serves as preparation for the year’s last Grand Slam tournament.

Williams, a three-time champion in Canada, started this match, fittingly enough, with an ace. Delivered another later in that game, too, showing off the superb serve that helped her to so many match victories, so many tournament titles, so many weeks at No. 1 in the rankings.

That elite ability showed up occasionally against Bencic, whether the trio of unreturnable serves to close out that opening game or a later putaway swinging volley accented with a shout and a tug on the brim of her white visor.

But because of a leg injury that sidelined her for the last half of 2021 and first half of 2022, she was playing for only the third time in the past 12 months. There were signs of that, as well, and of why Williams is no longer the dominant force she was for so long.

The breaks of her serve that were never quite so frequent when she was younger and at the height of her powers. The not-quite-on-target groundstrokes. The inability to offer up too much resistance while receiving serve; she only earned one break point in the first set, missing a return long to fritter away that chance, and none in the second.

“I wish I could have played better,” Williams said, “but Belinda played so well today.”

It did not help Williams that she was facing an opponent 15 years her junior and quite talented, to boot: Bencic is ranked 12th, won a gold medal for Switzerland at the Tokyo Olympics last year and has been a Grand Slam semifinalist.

“It’s always an honor to be on the court with her,” Bencic said, “and that’s why I think tonight is about her.”

Bencic took home the Toronto trophy at age 18 in 2015, when she eliminated Williams in the semifinals to earn the distinction of being the youngest woman to beat a player many consider, as one homemade poster in the stands declared, the “GOAT” – the greatest of all-time.

In the late match, Bianca Andreescu – the final Canadian left in the singles draw – beat Alize Cornet 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Andreescu won the tournament in 2019 when Williams retired in the final match because of back problems.

Bencic advanced to face two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza, who beat Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-4. Seeded players who left the draw included No. 2 Anett Kontaveit, No. 4 Paula Badosa, No. 5 Ons Jabeur, No. 13 Leylah Fernandez and No. 16 Jelena Ostapenko.

Jabeur, the Wimbledon runner-up last month, stopped in the second set against Zheng Qinwen because of abdominal pain. Badosa cited muscle cramping for her mid-match retirement while trailing Yulia Putintseva.

Fernandez, the Canadian who was the U.S. Open runner-up last year, lost 7-6 (4), 6-1 to Beatriz Haddad Maia, while Alison Riske-Amritraj defeated 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 7-6 (2), 0-6, 7-5.

https://sports.yahoo.com/serena-loses-1st-match-since-032430347.html

Swiatek ambushed by Brazil's Haddad Maia in Toronto. Brazilian outsider Beatriz Haddad Maia toppled world number one Iga Swiatek 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA Toronto Masters.

The South American ranked 24th in the world beat her third top-10 opponent this season, but notched her first career win over a world number one as she clawed out the victory in three hours.

Haddad Maia, who won titles at Nottingham and Birmingham in June, became the first Brazilian to reach the quarters at a WTA 1000 tournament.

She was the first from her country even to face a number one since Telian Pereira lost to Serena Williams at Roland Garros in 2016.

Swiatek, whose six titles this season include the French Open, missed her chance at a 50th match win this season.

Her run of 23 straight wins at the Masters 1000 level was snapped.

Haddad Maia put Swiatek on the defensive, forcing her to save 15 of 19 break points while committing nine double-faults.

She limited her own unforced errors to a dozen, backed up by 23 winners while Swiatek ended with 33 winners and 28 unforced errors.

In other third-round action, Coco Gauff survived 15 double-faults to squeeze out a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) win over Aryna Sabalenka.

The American teenager contributed just under half of the miscues in the error-strewn affair, with her opponent accounting for 18 additional doubles.

Tenth seed Gauff, who fell to Swiatek at Roland Garros in her first Grand Slam final this year, battled for three and a quarter hours against sixth-seeded Sabalenka.

Gauff finished with nine aces and saved 10 of 14 break points that she faced.

"It was a difficult match for both of us," Gauff said. "We were both struggling with the serve.

"The conditions weren't easy today, a lot of wind. I think I hung in there mentally and that's what I'm most proud of."

Victory for the 18-year-old came a day after she beat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the third round in a match that took two and three-quarter hours.

The American admitted that trailing 3-0 in the final set, she had to give herself a serious talking-to.

"I said if I was going to lose, I'm not going to lose like this. I had to change, and that's what I did.

"I was being too negative on myself. She is frustrating to play. She plays big tennis -- sometimes you hit a good shot and she hits a winner."

Gauff added: "There's a reason why she was number two in the world."

Gauff will face off on Friday against two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep after the former number one from Romania defeated Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-2, 7-5 in 91 minutes.

Seventh-seeded American Jessica Pegula advanced, beating defending champion Camila Giorgi of Italy 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.

https://sports.yahoo.com/swiatek-ambushed-brazils-haddad-maia-234217965.html

The Serena Williams farewell tour is officially in effect. A day after she announced her pending retirement from tennis, the 23-time Grand Slam champion took the court on Wednesday to a standing ovation in Toronto at the National Bank Open.

 

Serena Williams enters to a standing ovation. #NBO22 pic.twitter.com/Lg6NkZf8Vj

— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) August 10, 2022

 

The match turned out to be her last at the event. Williams defeated Nuria Parrizas Diaz in opening round play on Monday, her first victory in just her third match of an injury-plagued 2022 season.

On Wednesday, she fell in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) to No. 12 seed and reigning Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. When the match was over, she received another raucous ovation from a Toronto crowd realizing that it had just seen her for the last time.

Williams then spoke publicly for the first time since penning in Tuesday's Vogue essay that "I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me."

A standing ovation for the legend @serenawilliams in her final match in Canada 👏#NBO22 pic.twitter.com/TfhBXvCuJB

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 11, 2022

"I love playing here," Williams said in her post-match interview. "I've always loved playing here. I wish I could have played better, but Belinda played so well today. It's been a pretty interesting 24 hours."

After a fan from the crowd shouted "I love you," Williams' emotions began to well up as she bid farewell.

"I'm terrible at goodbyes," Williams continued. "But goodbye. Toronto!"

After being gifted with jerseys from the Raptors and Maple Leafs, Williams was on the verge of tears.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart,' Williams continued. "It's been a joy playing in front of you guys all these years."

She then wiped tears from her face after being presented with flowers on her way off the court.

 

Serena Williams shared an emotional moment with fans in Toronto on Wednesday. (Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The scene was a prelude to what promises to be an even more emotional goodbye as Williams eventually bids farewell at the upcoming US Open, which starts on Aug. 29 and will presumably be the last Grand Slam and final event of her professional tennis career.

Up first is a trip to Cincinnati and her final Western & Southern Open.

https://sports.yahoo.com/serena-williams-bids-tearful-farewell-to-toronto-after-first-match-since-announcing-her-retirement-025548735.html

From Farmer To Thrill Seeker: The Life Of Tommy Paul. American discusses farm life and love for adventure.

In a couple of weeks, Tommy Paul will be on his mother’s farm in New Jersey, taking care of more than 100 animals, operating a tractor and pulling trees. But for now, the American is focussed on continuing one of the best tournaments of his career at Wimbledon.

Three years after losing in the final round of qualifying to Jiri Vesely, Paul turned the tables to down the Czech and reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Victory on Court No. 3 marked another breakthrough moment for the 25-year-old, who is making his main draw debut at The Championships this week. After enjoying a standout junior career, which saw him win the 2015 Roland Garros boys’ singles title, Paul captured his first tour-level title in November, while he is at a current career-high No. 32 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings .

Following his success, Paul is now accustomed to the lights and glamour of the Tour. However, it is a world away from his life back in the United States, where he frequently swaps his racquet for farm tools when he visits his mom in New Jersey.

“My mom and stepdad live on a farm in South Jersey, where they have roughly 100 chickens, six sheep, two dogs, a horse and a cat. I grew up in North Carolina, but my mum moved back to South Jersey when I turned pro. That is where she grew up,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “The animals have built up. It is something to do for her. When she is not at work, she is outside on the farm.

“After Wimbledon I will go home and help around the farm. They have hay barrels in the field. I am operating the tractor to move the barrels around. Anything from that, to pulling trees out of the ground. I am on it. Working around the farm is fun.”

Ever since he was young, Paul has held a love for animals and adventure. The 25-year-old, who owned a dog when younger, feels that his interests away from tennis have been crucial in helping him deal with the pressure of life on Tour.

“I have always tried to be an outside kind of guy, it helps me switch off,” Paul said. “Tennis is outdoors, but even when I am not playing tennis I try and stay outside. Whether that is the beach or when I am at home visiting my family, we are outside all day. When I was younger, we had a dog, so I would spend time outside with it.

“Now I love to go the beach and visit the Everglades when I am home. Any water sport I am into. I normally choose the beach over the Everglades, though, because I am not fond of visiting the alligators!”

Alongside tennis, Paul played basketball and baseball when he was younger. While he was talented at all three, tennis was the avenue he chose.

“I played a little bit of basketball, but I played more baseball. I really enjoyed both sports and still do,” Paul said. “I follow the NBA closely, but it is hard to follow when in Europe. I usually watch highlights in the morning when I am away from America, but I try not to miss any games.

“Playing wise, tennis was always my best sport. It was nice because my sister played with me, so it was great as we grew up playing together.”

At 13, Paul left his sister and home comforts and entered the ITF juniors circuit, where he trained and lived alongside countrymen Reilly Opelka and Taylor Fritz in Florida.

For good friend Opelka, Paul’s success is no surprise.

“Tommy is a great athlete. Physically he is very good. He has gotten stronger and has taken the natural athleticism he has to another level,” Opelka said. “His natural tennis ability is off the charts. It just took him a bit of time to get the discipline, but his success now is great to see.”

With Opelka’s words ringing in his ears and his family in support 3,500 miles away, Paul will look to break more new ground when he faces Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the fourth round at Wimbledon on Sunday.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/paul-feature-july-2022

Carlos Confession: 'I Couldn't Handle It'. Spaniard says loss to Paul was "a fight with myself".

Playing at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers as the World No. 4 and the tournament's second seed, Carlos Alcaraz said he struggled for the first time with the pressure of his lofty status on the ATP Tour.

On Wednesday in Montreal, the 19-year-old lost a match point in the second set and dropped a 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3 decision to American Tommy Paul.

"I felt the pressure to be the No. 2 seed in this kind of tournament, No. 4 in the world," Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. "It was the first time that I felt that pressure, and I couldn't handle it.

"All I can say from this match is I have to train, I have to be ready to have this pressure, to have these kinds of moments, and to learn how to handle it. That's all I can say right now."

Alcaraz surrendered a break advantage in the second set and could not convert on his match point on return at 7/6 in the second-set tie-break. While he expected a tough opening match in his first hard-court event since winning the Miami title in April, he was upset with the result and his inability to produce his best tennis.

"I could say I couldn't show my best performance here," he said, earlier calling Paul a deserved winner. "But as I said, first rounds, you have to fight against your opponent and of course against yourself. Obviously it was tough to handle those moments knowing that I'm not playing my 100 per cent, let's say... It was a fight with myself."

You May Also Like: Paul Saves MP, Stuns Alcaraz In Montreal

The Spaniard's position as World No. 4 is under threat this week from Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud, who could both pass him by reaching the Montreal final.

Alcaraz now turns his attention to Cincinnati, where he made his debut as a qualifier last summer, losing to Lorenzo Sonego in the opening round.

"Right now, I think I [will] spend one day here in Montreal and then be focussed on Cincinnati," he said. "I have to train, as I said, to take lesson from this match, trying to be 100 per cent for Cincinnati."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/alcaraz-montreal-2022-wednesday-reaction

Nadal Has Shot At No. 1 In Cincinnati. Spaniard set for first action since Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal confirmed on Wednesday his plans to travel to Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open, where he could secure a return to World No. 1.

If the Spaniard wins the ATP Masters 1000 title and current World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev fails to reach the quarter-finals, Nadal would rise to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 36-year-old is set for his first competitive appearance since pulling out of Wimbledon just before the semi-finals with an abdominal injury he sustained during the London fortnight. His difficult decision not to play Nick Kyrgios in that semi-final has allowed him a relatively quick return from the muscle tear.

Nadal confirmed his return in an Instagram post, where he said: "Very happy to play again in Cincy. Flying there tomorrow."

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)

The 2013 Cincinnati champion, Nadal is 22-11 at the ATP Masters 1000 event and has reached the quarter-finals or better on seven occasions. He has not competed at the hard-court showcase since 2017, when he lost to Kyrgios in the quarters.

Nadal will be seeking his fifth title of the 2022 season as he looks to improve upon his stellar 35-3 record on the year. Nadal and countryman Carlos Alcaraz share the season lead for ATP Tour singles titles with four each.

The World No. 3 has won 36 Masters 1000 titles, second only to Novak Djokovic's 38.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-cincinnati-2022-announce

Paul Saves MP, Stuns Alcaraz In Montreal.

American to face Cilic or Khachanov in third round

An inspired Tommy Paul cut short the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers debut of Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday in Montreal, where the American prevailed 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3 in a second-round epic.

Paul was on the brink of his third consecutive second-round exit at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event when he faced match point at 6/7 in the second-set tie-break, but the 25-year-old held his nerve to force a decider in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with the second seed. Consistent ballstriking from deep earned Paul a decisive break of serve in the third set as the World No. 34 wrapped a three-hour, 19-minute marathon win to book a third-round matchup against 13th seed Marin Cilic or Karen Khachanov.

“It’s nice to finish matches at the net,” said Paul after he came forward to convert his fifth match point. “He hit a pretty nice passing shot there at the last point and I covered the line well, volleyed it well. I think I did a lot of things well today. I played a good level of tennis, especially there in the third set, so I’m happy to get through.”

✅ Rublev
✅ Berrettini
✅ Zverev
✅ Alcaraz@TommyPaul1 digs deep for his fourth Top 🔟 win in 10 months!#OBN22 pic.twitter.com/lylPHfP7aB

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 10, 2022

Paul had also been under pressure early in the second set after Alcaraz opened up a 4-1 lead to move within two games of victory. The American responded with four games in a row to storm back into the contest, and despite ultimately requiring a tie-break to clinch the set Paul admitted he had retained belief throughout.

“I just felt like I was in his service games,” said Paul. “In the second set I felt like I could break. I didn’t expect to get two breaks back and serve for the set, [but] I felt like I was playing comfortable tennis overall. I stuck to the game plan and played well.”

Until Paul pulled clear in the deciding set, the Montreal crowd had been treated to an absorbing matchup of fine margins that featured some dramatic all-court rallies and saw both players struggle to capitalise when in strong positions. Paul’s ability to pressure the Alcaraz delivery with concise returning ultimately proved decisive, however, as he converted four from 15 break points to reach the third round for the first time.

INSIGHTS In Attack show that Paul struck 26 per cent of his shots from attacking positions compared to 21 per cent for Alcaraz, giving the American a higher chance of prevailing in the second-round clash according to new analysis from TennisViz.

INSIGHTS In Attack

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/alcaraz-paul-montreal-2022-wednesday
_{^{Figure 1: In Attack score from 2022 Montreal third-round matchup between Tommy Paul and Carlos Alcaraz.}}

The second-round clash was Alcaraz’s first hard-court outing since he defeated Casper Ruud to seal his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami in early April. In contrast, Paul kicked off his North American hard-court season with a run to the quarter-finals in Atlanta before he fell to eventual champion Nick Kyrgios in Washington last week. Wednesday’s win makes Paul just the fourth player to defeat Alcaraz after dropping the opening set in an ATP Tour match.

“I think I got him in his first match on the hard courts," said Paul. "So hopefully when we play next time, he [also] doesn’t have too many hard-court matches [under his belt].”