WHAT HAPPENED: It looked to be a crackerjack Round 2 match at the Grandstand: No. 29 seed Tommy Paul, the 25-year-old from New Jersey, would face Sebastian Korda, the unseeded Floridian who struck the world No. 30 ranking months ago.
Instead, the all-American affair resembled something closer to a roller coaster. Tommy Paul won in five sets: 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Paul and Korda aren’t all that different in ranking, age or ability. While it seemed like Paul might have the edge based on recent results, history suggested Korda—with three wins over his countryman, all of them in 2021—knew his opponent’s tricks.
It took all of 22 minutes for Paul to bagel Korda in the opening set. His strategy: attack, attack, attack. Paul immediately walloped serves and struck winners with laser-sight precision. Korda sent balls wide and still seemed to be warming up.
By the second set, Korda went from chilly to sizzling as his opponent cooled. Serving first, he took the initial game and almost broke his opponent with the second: Korda reached deuce four times before conceding the point. Korda broke to hit 4-2, roared and pumped his fist. He almost closed the set with a second break point, but instead finished on his own serve at 6-3.
In the third set—just an hour after play started—the competitive match we expected began in earnest. Each player held serve, trading quick game after quick game. Korda successfully converted a break point at 4-4 and soon looked like the favorite. But the fourth set saw Paul break Korda early to reach 3-1. A frustrated Korda smacked his racquet against the ground and couldn’t reclaim ground.
In the decider, Paul broke to reach 3-2. Each player persisted, despite signs of fatigue as the match passed the three-hour mark. But this time, Korda couldn't break back.
WHAT IT MEANS: Tommy Paul also took five sets to win his opener against Bernabe Zapata Miralles. He may have played more tennis than any other singles player at the 2022 US Open thus far.
Norway’s Casper Ruud, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, would have provided a tough test in Round 3 regardless of whether Paul completed the match in three sets or five.
Paul, the world No. 34, exited last year’s US Open in the first round. Even if he doesn’t advance past Ruud, he’ll gain a significant boost in ranking points from this tournament.
MATCH POINT: After five sets of extended rallies and missed opportunities from both players, Paul closed out the match with four straight points for a love hold.
