World No. 31 Tommy Paul has played some fantastic tennis all year long, but this has been a particularly special week for the American. At the Rolex Paris Masters, Paul has eliminated Roberto Bautista Agut, Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta. That second win was arguably the biggest of his career, but the fact that he was able to back it up with a straight-set win over Carreno Busta shows that he is locked in at the right time—and hoping to make even more noise. Now, Paul will try and beat world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time in his career, for a spot in the semifinals.
We’re not going to sit here and tell you that Paul will beat Tsitsipas outright. But Paul has looked unflappable in Paris this week, and that’s important to note against his emotionally up-and-down opponent. If Paul can get under Tsitsipas’ skin in this match, anything can happen. Don’t rule that out, as the American can be a frustrating foe.