Paul Reaches Delray Beach Final, Faces Korda in All-American Showdown

Tommy Paul battled past Learner Tien in a three-set semi-final at the Delray Beach Open on Saturday, securing his place in the championship match. The 28-year-old Paul overcame the 20-year-old Tien 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, continuing his pursuit of a fifth ATP Tour title.

Tommy Paul is seeking his fifth ATP Tour title.

Paul Overcomes Tien in a Tight Contest

The match was a high-quality tussle, with Paul showcasing strong court coverage and winning extended rallies, including an 18-shot exchange to earn set point in the second set. Paul ultimately rode the momentum to a 3-0 lead in the deciding set.

The fifth-seeded Paul faced a challenging service hold at 3-1, saving four break points. He continued to fend off break opportunities, saving another at 4-2 and securing a forehand winner when facing break point at 5-3. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Paul saved six break points in the third set.

“He obviously was playing amazing tennis in the first set,” Paul said of Tien. “I was really struggling to stay with him. I felt like he was doing everything a little bit better than me, but I knew I had to mix things up and strive to change the rhythm — get to net a little bit more, slice a little bit more. I thought I did a great job switching it up, serve and volleying a bit.”

This marks Paul’s second appearance in the Delray Beach final, having previously reached the title match in 2024, where he lost to Taylor Fritz 6-2, 6-3.

Paul ended a five-match losing streak in tour-level semi-finals with this victory, having last won a semi-final at the ATP 250 in Stockholm in 2024.

Korda Advances to Face Paul

Paul will face fellow American Sebastian Korda in the final. Korda reached his first ATP Tour final in over a year by defeating third seed Flavio Cobolli 7-6(1), 6-1.

Korda hit 12 aces and won 82% of his second-serve points, avoiding break points throughout the 76-minute match.

“I think it was a great match. I think I served pretty well. I didn’t have too many pressure situations on my serve, and that opens up the returns,” Korda said. “I think I played a great tie-breaker, and then after that, I just started feeling the ball a little bit better, returning a little better and put some pressure on him.”

The Delray Beach ATP 250 event has proven successful for Korda, who holds a 10-2 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He previously reached the final in 2021, losing to Hubert Hurkacz.

“That’s where you want to be, especially here in the States,” Korda said. “You want these American finals, and it’s definitely going to be an American final, so it’s going to be exciting for sure.”