ROME — Not like most People who cannot discover their footing on clay once they come to Europe, Tommy Paul feels proper at house on the pink grime.
That is as a result of he grew up taking part in on the floor in Greenville, North Carolina.
“That was all I performed on, even earlier than going to play hard-court tournaments. The inexperienced clay, not the good things,” Paul mentioned. “I am comfy on it. I am actually having fun with my time on it proper now.”
Is he ever.
Paul beat ninth-ranked Hubert Hurkacz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Thursday to succeed in the Italian Open semifinals and observe up his straight-set victory over defending champion Daniil Medvedev two days earlier.
It is one of the best end result on pink clay of his profession. At the least on the senior stage.
As a junior, Paul gained the French Open boys’ title in 2015.
Within the semifinals on Friday, the Sixteenth-ranked Paul will face Nicolas Jarry, who rallied previous Monte Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The opposite semifinal will characteristic 2017 Rome champion Alexander Zverev towards Alejandro Tabilo, who eradicated top-ranked Novak Djokovic within the third spherical.
Two Chileans — Jarry and Tabilo — will seem within the semifinals of a Masters 1000 occasion for the primary because the introduction of the format in 1990.
Within the ladies’s semifinals, top-ranked Iga Swiatek prolonged her profitable streak to 11 matches with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff. Swiatek, who’s trying to finish the “grime double” by profitable the Madrid Open and Italian Open back-to-back, will face will face second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka within the closing.
Sabalenka beat Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-2 handy the retiring American solely her second loss since early March.
It is a rematch of the Madrid closing.
“I am pleased to be taking part in so persistently as a result of it implies that we’re doing every thing nicely,” Swiatek mentioned. “So actually happy with myself and of the staff as nicely.”
Paul bought in additional coaching on clay this season due to an ankle damage that lower quick his hard-court season in March.
“My entire staff has form of tried to get me to not play early within the clay courtroom season, to have an extended coaching block,” he mentioned. “This yr I used to be form of pressured to do it.”
Paul’s two coaches each have clay-court pedigrees. Brad Stine guided Jim Courier to 2 French Open titles and Hugo Armando‘s finest floor as a participant was clay.
“(Armando) is the one who works with me a bunch on the grime earlier than beginning the season,” Paul mentioned. “Brad got here down additionally to Boca. We labored on transferring again a bit of bit, taking a step again, letting factors form of develop and settle.”
Paul broke the big-serving Hurkacz seven occasions but in addition dropped his personal serve six occasions.
“My sport plan coming in was, I bought to get in as lots of his service video games as doable and try to get a few breaks. So on that facet, I did very, very nicely at this time,” Paul mentioned. “However my subsequent match, I am in all probability going to give attention to holding serve a bit of bit extra.”
Earlier than beating Medvedev, Paul had by no means defeated a top-20 participant on clay. Now he is defeated two top-10 gamers back-to-back for the primary time in his profession – on any floor.
Paul is trying to turn into the primary American man to succeed in the Rome closing since Andre Agassi gained the trophy in 2002. Along with Gauff and Collins, there have been three American semifinalists.
Rome is the final huge warmup match earlier than the French Open begins in 10 days and Paul has by no means been previous the second spherical at Roland Garros – on the senior stage.
Paul was higher on the longer rallies than Hurkacz and twice got here again from a break down within the deciding set.
Hurkacz eradicated file 10-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal within the second spherical.
