Hot Shot of the Month: Paul's instinctive no-look stunner earns him February award

Tommy Paul has claimed February’s Hot Shot of the Month award after pulling off a spectacular no-look winner at the ATP 500 in Dallas.

The American sent fans inside the stadium into a frenzy with an outrageous over-the-shoulder passing shot to claim the monthly honour over candidates Matteo Berrettini, Francisco Comesana and Sebastian Baez.

“Hey guys, thanks for selecting me for Hot Shot of the Month,” said Paul, the No. 11 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “It’s not a shot I practise, but it’s pretty cool that I pulled it off in a match, so thank you guys for voting.”

Trailing a set in his opening-round battle against Jenson Brooksby in Dallas, Paul was in need of a spark to reassert his dominance, and did he ever find one. Serving at 1-0, 30/0 in the second set, the 27-year-old looked to seize control by attacking the net with a forehand down-the-line approach. But, just as it seemed he had the point in hand after a delicate volley back at his opponent’s feet, Brooksby dug out a raindrop lob that sent Paul scrambling toward the baseline.

On the dead run and nearing the back fence, seemingly out of options, Paul reacted in a moment of pure instinct. He gripped his racquet and swatted an audacious no-look, over-the-shoulder shot that sailed past his countryman to land a foot inside the line for a clean winner, leaving the onrushing Brooksby in disbelief.

“I definitely don’t have that shot,” Paul told ATPTour.com in Dallas, cracking a laugh. “I guess today I did, but that’s probably a one out of fifty kinda shot.

“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. But then I was like, ‘You know what, whatever. I’ve been messing up on [stuff], what’s one more miss?'”

Whose jaw-dropping shot will take centre stage next on the ATP Tour? Stay tuned for more dazzling Hot Shot of the Month contenders as the season unfolds.