Tommy Paul, a former Dallas champion, managed to secure a hard-fought victory over fellow American Jenson Brooksby to progress to the second round of the Nexo Dallas Open. The match, which lasted two hours and 25 minutes, concluded with Paul edging Brooksby 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4). Notably, Paul showcased an impressive serving performance in the final set, winning 21 of 23 points.
“I feel like he can put the ball all over the court and can make you move around so much,” Paul commented on Brooksby’s style of play. He added, “I was holding a lot easier than I normally do against Jenson, and the first set and a half was way quicker than normal, so it was a little bit different. I was happy to get through it.” This victory gives Paul a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head encounters. He will now face Miomir Kecmanovic for a shot at the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Taylor Fritz displayed dominance in his match against fellow Californian Brandon Nakashima, winning in just 69 minutes with a score of 6-3, 6-4. Fritz, who effectively saved three break points, described his performance by saying, “I think coming off the match from the other night, I got a lot of rhythm. I felt like I could really attack more than I was able to [the other night].”
In the quarterfinals, Fritz will take on Sebastian Korda, who eliminated eighth seed Frances Tiafoe with a decisive 7-5, 6-1 win, only dropping four points on his first serve during the 68-minute match.
Additionally, Ethan Quinn, currently ranked No. 74 in the world, advanced to the second round by defeating wild card Trevor Svajda after one hour and 47 minutes, rallying back to win 7-6(3), 7-5. Quinn’s next opponent will be veteran Marin Cilic, who is aiming for his 601st victory on the ATP tour, bringing a sense of excitement and anticipation as the tournament progresses.