Tommy Paul Defeats Hurkacz in Rome Quarterfinals and Joins Sampras in History

Facing Hurkacz on the center court, Tommy Paul won the duel against the Pole (7-6, 6-3) in nearly two hours of play. Advancing to the semifinals, the American continues his strong run after a solid victory over De Minaur in the previous round. He reaches the final four in the Italian capital once again after the 2024 edition and becomes the first American since Sampras (1993-1994) to achieve this feat.

In a tightly contested first set, the two players had to settle the score in a tie-break, which Paul won (7-4). Nearly eight break points were created on both sides throughout the set. The world No. 12 then pulled ahead, capitalizing on his opponent's numerous unforced errors (17 out of a total of 48), to secure the win.

The 27-year-old will face the winner of the clash between Ruud and Sinner. This season, Paul's best result so far has been a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open.