Paul produces perfect performance to become Stockholm champion again

Tommy Paul won his first ATP Tour title in Stockholm in 2021 and on Sunday the American became a champion at the ATP 250 event again.

Fourth seed Paul defeated third seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Nordic Open final to claim his third ATP Tour title of the season. The American did not lose a set all week and lifted the trophy after one hour and 25 minutes.

“I feel like every match I played a little bit better and better,” Paul said. “Today I came out playing amazing, so I was definitely happy with the performance.”

2X CHAMPION IN STOCKHOLM ??@TommyPaul | @sthlm_open | #bnpparibasnordicopen pic.twitter.com/RKH0KYIbDt

It was a critical win for the 27-year-old’s Nitto ATP Finals dreams. The American is trying to qualify for the season finale for the first time and by claiming the crown in Stockholm ascended to 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, passing Dimitrov by beating the Bulgarian in the championship match.

Paul now trails eighth-placed Andrey Rublev by 495 points in the Live Race. He will try to further narrow the deficit next week in Vienna.

The American put himself in that position with a flawless performance in Stockholm, where he played two tie-breaks and the next-closest set he played was 6-4. He won five of his eight sets by a margin of 6-3 or greater.

Paul won only 65 per cent of his first-serve points against Dimitrov according to Infosys ATP Stats, but it proved inconsequential. The two-time Stockholm champion masterfully handled the Bulgarian’s tricky backhand slice and changed directions at the most opportune times to control rallies.

The American crushed an inside-out backhand return winner from the deuce court to secure the critical break at 4-3 in the second set and held without trouble to secure the title. He has also lifted trophies in Dallas and Queen's Club in 2024.

"It's a very special place for me," Paul said during the trophy ceremony. "This is where I got my first title a few years ago and to come out and play the level of tennis I did this week, it's been a dream."

Paul is the fourth player to win at least three tour-level titles this season, joining Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini. His win against Dimitrov was his fourth Top 10 victory of the season (4-5).

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