Tommy Paul's mother was in the crowd for the biggest victory of his career. He said Mom booked a flight after he won his fourth-round match, then went straight from work to the airport to make the long journey from the U.S.
Voorhees, New Jersey native Tommy Paul received a lot less attention than his younger, less-experienced, opponent, Ben Shelton, heading into their all-American quarterfinal at the Australian Open.
"Every junior to pro has a different path. ... Mine has been, like, the slowest," the 35th-ranked Paul said, mentioning a group of Americans he grew up with: Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka. "I like to think the last four years of my career has just been like steady steps moving up. I mean, that's what it's felt like. I feel like hopefully 2023 is the year where I really make a big jump.
Tommy Paul of the U.S. plays a backhand return to compatriot Ben Shelton during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023.Paul's next opponent will be 21-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, who overwhelmed No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
And while Shelton was sort of adopted by the locals - "The crowds have been pretty unbelievable. ... They kind of treated me like one of their own," he observed - Paul was not drawing the same amount adoration. Based purely on ranking, Paul offered a much sterner test than anyone Shelton had faced in Australia: His prior opponents were ranked 67th, 96th, 113th and 154th.
They shared a light moment when Paul's coach, Brad Stine, told him to look for a serve down the "T" on the Ad side of the court. Shelton noticed the exchange and kicked his serve wide, leaving Paul out of position and with no chance at reaching the ace. Both players smiled.
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