AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2025

Tommy Paul

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/T. Paul

7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Tommy, bad luck on the result today. What do you feel was the strength of the Sascha game?

TOMMY PAUL: You know, he did what he always does. He picks up his level at the big moments, and my level unfortunately dropped in the big moments today.

But, I mean, he plays with great depth and doesn't miss much on the big points, so...

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can I double-check. Something happened early in the match with the let call where the umpire, I think, called a let, and you were confused by it, but there was confusion that there was no electronic calling. Is that right?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I mean, I was already down, like, 4-1 in the breaker. I think maybe double mini-break. Yeah, I mean, I hit a serve, and it was a let, but the chair didn't see it. I just didn't know that there was no automatic -- what's it called -- let machine here.

It is what it is. That didn't lose me the match or anything.

Q. Did you find at least for parts of the match you were able to execute whatever your game plan was throughout this and then just in those tight moments were not able to and sort of, you know, what was that game plan and how much did Sascha take you out of it?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I think at times I was able to. He did his best to not allow me to. But yeah, I mean, I wanted to mix things up. I wanted to hit short slices. I came out and did a good job of that in the beginning.

But, I mean, unfortunately, my unforced error count was just too high today. I mean, I was looking at it. They had all the stats during the match up on the screen. I looked up and saw, like, 40-something unforced errors after, like, two sets or two and a half sets. You can't have that when you're playing guys who are No. 2 in the world at slams.

Q. Just off that, are you somebody who generally likes to see numbers like that during a match? Was it an accidental thing you happened to see?

TOMMY PAUL: No, I didn't like seeing that number, for sure. I mean, on set breaks I don't mind peeking over and seeing what my first-serve percentage is or unforced error count. I think it's helpful stuff. So, yeah, I peek over at it.

Q. Coming out of that match, I guess, which is the stronger emotion? Encouraged at both the general run here, but also specifically today, you were as good as he was in those first two sets for big parts of it. Not in the tiebreakers. Are you more encouraged by being so close or more, I guess, upset or discouraged by what the result would have been?

TOMMY PAUL: Both. Both. I think losing sucks always. But, you know, there's good takeaways. I served for the first two sets and won the third set pretty not easy, but I won the third set.

I just have to close those sets out. That's what the top players do so well. When they're front-running, they do a great job in closing big sets or any sets, and that's what I didn't do well today.

Then when we got to the breakers, he obviously dominated the breakers. I made way too many unforced errors, and he locked it down. He did what he does, and he played great breakers.

Q. We saw Gael Monfils retire yesterday after being a big week in Auckland the week before the Open, and you played in Adelaide. Do you feel the cumulative effects of that coming today, and will that change your plans going forward?

TOMMY PAUL: No. I mean, Monfils has quite a few more miles on his engine than I do, I would say. I also think, like, coming from Auckland is a little bit more of a trip. Coming from Adelaide, I only played three matches in Adelaide, and then coming here.

Then obviously we get days in between, which when you play in three out of five, you need them. But my last couple of matches haven't been super physical matches until today.

So I felt pretty good coming in. Obviously Monfils had more physical matches than I did.

Q. Was it a big jump in terms of the level of players that you were playing, certainly the last two rounds, and then all of a sudden Sascha is there? Is that a difficult adjustment?

TOMMY PAUL: No. I mean, I think the only real adjustment was I played on every court there was here. That was my fifth match, fifth different court. I played two matches at night and then two matches during the day.

I mean, that's really my only adjustment that I had to make. We came a little earlier and practiced on the court because we hadn't hit on it yet. It was a little warmer today. The balls were bouncing up a little higher, which I did not mind actually.

But, I mean, yeah, it was small adjustments. Obviously he's 2 in the world. He's ranked higher than guys I've played. But, I mean, I usually like playing those matchups, so it wasn't a huge adjustment, no.

Q. Just on that about the scheduling, do you feel as though you can or did you make any kind of a request with regard to, hey, why am I playing on a different court every day?

TOMMY PAUL: No. By no means am I complaining about that. I don't normally put in requests, especially when I'm not in the States, because I'm probably not going to get what I want. I play on the courts they put me on, and I try and win on the courts they put me on. That's my mindset.

Q. If I could ask about Sascha's serve. What's most difficult about dealing with his serve?

TOMMY PAUL: I think I returned well enough to win today. I definitely put myself in a position to win in the first, second, and third set.

Obviously he's got a great serve. I think he actually served a lower percentage than he normally does today, so I had more looks at second serves.

I think that's what frustrates people when they play him, is his super high percentage of first serve. He's done an amazing job in the past couple of years with that. I mean, he's got to have one of the highest percentages on tour. But today, you know, I was trying a couple of things and trying to get him to miss some first serves. I thought I did a pretty good job with that.

My returning was not what cost me the match by any means today.