Round 3: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Tommy Paul
Arthur Ashe Stadium — Day Session — First Match
- Friday's first match in Ashe sees No, 14 seed Paul take on No. 21 seed Davidovich Fokina for the second time at a Grand Slam this year. Paul, the third-highest ranked American behind Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, is in search of his first Round 4 berth at at the US Open, having reached this stage last year. The Spaniard, meanwhile, has twice reached the last 16 in New York, in 2020 and 2022.
- At the Australian Open in January, Paul came from two-sets-to-one down to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 in the second round; that win spurred him onto his first Grand Slam semifinal, and his current perch as a Top 15 player. They also met this spring in Miami, and Paul won that one in much more straightforward fashion, 6-3, 7-5.
- The two have had contrasting paths through to this match. Davidovich Fokina won his firs two matches in three straight sets, over Marcos Giron and Juan Manuel Cerundolo, while Paul's won a four-setter and a five-setter this week.
- On Wednesday, Paul came back from two-sets-to-love down in 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 Round 2 win over Roman Safiullin, the first time he rallied from such a deficit in his career. Buoyed a spirited partisan crowd on Court 17, Paul said afterwards there was "no doubt" in his mind that he could rally for victory.
- Now, Paul is ready to battle again in a rematch of "one of the best matches ... that I was involved in this year" against Davidovich Fokina. "It was a really roller coaster match," he said of their Melbourne meeting. "The level was off the charts, I thought. He's obviously been playing really, really great. It's going to be a major challenge. Like, he's another guy who I don't think he's ever lost a match due to fitness. Hopefully we have a full-on war, and the better man wins."
