Shanghai back this year? Paul saves 5 deputies and shocks Tabilo
The American will then play either Matak or Vukic in Shanghai
06 October 2024
Zhi Jie/Getty Images
Tommy Ball outlasts Alejandro Tabelo in three sets on Sunday night to take the lead in Shanghai. By ATP Staff
Tommy Paul earned one of the best comeback wins of the season on Sunday in Shanghai.
Alejandro Tabello, seeded nineteenth, led over seeded eleventh 7-6 (2), 5-1, and had five match points on his serve at 5-2, but he was unable to finish the match. Paul took full advantage, claiming a 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-2 victory in two hours and 43 minutes to earn a place in the last 16 of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Paul survives 💪@Tommy Paul 1 He came back from a set down and saved 5 match points to defeat Tabelo 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 😤@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/gwQrJxqJhz
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 6, 2024
Tabelo enjoyed the best season of his career and looked set to continue that with an impressive win over Paul. But the Chilean committed a foul on three of the match points and Paul headed home the winner on another. On the final point of the match, the left-hander pressured Paul to close the net, but the American player hit a perfect backhand shot across the court to escape.
Paul won 12 of the last 15 games of the match and converted four of his 13 break points according to Infosys ATP stats to set up a showdown against in-form 30th seed Tomas Macak or qualifier Aleksandar Vukic.
With his win, 27-year-old Paul leapt past Grigor Dimitrov into 10th place in the PIF ATP head-to-head race to Turin, 425 points ahead of eighth-placed Novak Djokovic. Paul is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
Did you know?
Paul now leads Tapelo 2-0 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series with both of their meetings coming this year. The American also won 6-3, 6-4 on the grass at the Queen’s Club.
