
Tommy Paul defeated fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday afternoon to reach the second round of the Dallas Open. At the end of the year, fans will not remember the result, but one shot the third seed hit.
Serving at 1-0, 30/0 in the second set, Brooksby hit a topspin backhand lob that caught out the defending champion. However, Paul rushed to the baseline and hit an incredible no-look, over-the-shoulder passing shot for a clean winner to the delight of the crowd.
“I definitely don’t have that shot,” Paul told ATPTour.com, cracking a laugh. “I guess today I did, but that’s probably a one out of fifty kinda shot.”
It was a critical moment of the match. Although the No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was up a break in the second set, he had lost a tight first and was trying to firm his grip on the momentum.
When Brooksby hit the lob, it looked like Paul was out of the point. That proved incorrect.
“I was thinking maybe [I would hit a] tweener, but I was like, ‘I’m going to go back and hit it straight up, because that’s a better chance of making that’,” Paul recalled. “But then I was like, ‘You know what, whatever. I’ve been messing up on [stuff], what’s one more miss’?”
When Paul’s shot landed about a foot inside the sideline, Brooksby stared at the court in disbelief before applauding his opponent.
“I kind of knew I hit it well,” Paul said. “You can kind of feel it.”
The four-time ATP Tour titlist will next take on American qualifier Ethan Quinn, a close friend. Quinn’s longtime coach, Brad Stine, is Paul’s traveling coach.