Tommy Paul Cruises into Australian Open Quarter-Finals with Dominant Win

Tommy Paul advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals with a convincing 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, praising his opponent's resilience after a grueling schedule.

Tommy Paul, the 27-year-old American 12th seed, delivered a dominant performance to reach his third Grand Slam quarter-final, dispatching Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in just 87 minutes on Margaret Court Arena. Paul's impressive display on a scorching hot Melbourne day proved too much for the 66th-ranked Spaniard.

Paul's success at the Australian Open has been a highlight of his career, with a 15-5 win-loss record in his six tournaments. His best Grand Slam result came in Melbourne in 2023, when he reached the semi-finals, becoming the first American man to do so since Andy Roddick in 2009. Notably, Paul defeated Davidovich Fokina en route to the semi-finals that year before being eliminated by Novak Djokovic.

Reflecting on his victory, Paul expressed his delight, saying, “I'm always happy to be back in Australia and to be in the quarter-finals again. It's amazing.” He also fondly recalled his past experiences on Margaret Court Arena, stating, “This court is where I came through to my first quarter-final ever, and now my second one here in Australia on this court. So great memories on this court.” Paul's strong 2024 season saw him claim three titles, in Dallas, Queen's, and Stockholm.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's grueling schedule appeared to catch up with him as he faced Tommy Paul, having played two consecutive five-set matches, including a thrilling comeback from two sets down in his third-round clash. The Spaniard's fatigue was evident in the opening set, where Paul broke his serve immediately and went on to win 87% of his first-serve points, securing the set in just 22 minutes.

Terrific Tommy 🥳@TommyPaul1 has reached the quarterfinals for the second time at the #AusOpen, moving past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1 6-1 6-1 on MCA.#AusOpen ⋅ #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/T2MyfysQxP

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2025

Davidovich Fokina's struggles continued as he required a medical timeout at the changeover, apparently due to a right hip issue. Unfortunately, he was unable to regain his momentum, and Paul capitalized on his opponent's misfortune. Paul broke Davidovich Fokina's serve twice to take a 4-0 lead in the second set, and the match followed a similar pattern in the third set, with Paul racing to a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory in just 1 hour and 27 minutes.

Paul expressed admiration for Davidovich Fokina's resilience, saying, “It's not easy to do once and to do it twice in a row... I mean, he definitely deserves a round of applause and respect from me, for sure, for staying out here today.” Paul's comments acknowledged the Spaniard's remarkable effort in competing despite his physical struggles.