Paul after his win against Fonseca: "The level was amazing right from the start"
Tommy Paul advanced to the third round of the Madrid Masters 1000 on Saturday evening. The American defeated João Fonseca in straight sets but had to save set points in each before ultimately securing victory in two tie-breaks (7-6, 7-6).
After the match, the world No. 12, who will face Karen Khachanov (winner over Reilly Opelka by the same score) for a spot in the round of 16, shared his thoughts on the win.
"The level was amazing right from the start. He really kept me on my toes. He was there on every one of my service games in the first set, and he did a great job of raising the pressure in the match.
I was happy to hold serve in the tighter games. My serve helped me a lot in the first set. I’m glad I got through it.
He hits the ball really hard. You have to chase down a lot of balls when you play against him. I came in with a lot of serve-and-volleys at smart times and used everything I had on the court.
He’s a great player, fun to compete against, and I’m sure we’ll see him often," concluded Paul, who will aim to reach the Madrid round of 16 for the first time in his career when he faces Khachanov.
Madrid