Paul, now boasting a 17-5 record on home soil since the start of 2024, has secured seven wins in Dallas. Competing in his first tournament as a Top 10 player, the World No. 9 has reached his 16th tour-level semi-final (7-8) and his fourth on indoor hard courts. Notably, Paul has won the title in each of his four previous indoor runs to this stage, with triumphs in Stockholm (2021, 2024) and Dallas (2023).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In his head-to-head encounter with the 27-year-old Americans, Paul\u2019s commanding serve allowed him to dictate play against the towering 6-foot-11 Opelka. Paul did not face a break point and won an impressive 83% (34\/41) of points on his first serve.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cNot to have breakpoints after a couple of times I was down 0\/30 and I really had to tighten up on those games... I'm happy with my serve performance for sure,\u201d Paul said after the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite firing nine aces, Opelka struggled to challenge Paul in rallies, with the latter utilizing his slice effectively throughout the 90-minute match. Among those in attendance was NBA star Klay Thompson of the Dallas Mavericks, seated in the front row.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cGetting his serve back in the court is pretty tough,\u201d Paul admitted. \u201cThe balls were moving pretty quick today. It felt quicker today than others. Maybe it\u2019s just because I had Reilly serving to me.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Paul will next face Denis Shapovalov, who continued his impressive run by backing up his dramatic upset of Taylor Fritz with a 7-6(5), 6-0 victory over sixth seed Tomas Machac. Shapovalov, through to his first semi-final above the ATP 250 level since 2022 (Vienna), has climbed nine places to No. 45.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019m beating some really tough opponents. It\u2019s been a tough draw but I\u2019m really happy and excited with the way I\u2019m playing,\u201d Shapovalov said. Earlier in the week, he overcame Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round. Machac initially put up a strong fight, leading in the tie-break, but Shapovalov dominated the second set with power and precision to seal the win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Paul will next face Denis Shapovalov, who continued his impressive run by backing up his dramatic upset of Taylor Fritz with a 7-6(5), 6-0 victory over sixth seed Tomas Machac. Shapovalov, through to his first semi-final above the ATP 250 level since 2022 (Vienna), has climbed nine places to No. 45.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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