Tommy Paul's failure to convert 6 matchpoints gets consolation from Tennys Sandgren, who failed to convert 7 against Roger Federer
Tommy Paul was comforted by compatriot Tennys Sandgren with Roger Federer's reference after he failed to convert six match points against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
In the fourth round of the first Masters 1000 tournament of the season, Auger-Aliassime saved six match points to beat home favorite Paul 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in two hours and 46 minutes.
When 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer squared off against Sandgren in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open, the Swiss icon nearly lost the match. However, he used his experience and even got lucky, by his own admission, but saved seven match points in the fourth set before beating the American 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-3.
Federer lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the semifinals.
After crashing out of the ongoing BNP Paribas Open, Paul took to social media to state that although he was disappointed with the loss, he was thankful for the crowd making him feel at home in Indian Wells.
"That one hurt but loved the crowd and all the support this week. Y’all always make me feel so at home here at @bnpparibasopen see you next year," Tommy Paul wrote on Instagram.
World No. 224 Sandgren was reminded of his match against Federer as he tried to console Paul, who had one less match-point opportunity against Auger-Aliassime than Sandgren had against the Swiss legend.
"At least it wasn’t 7," Sandgren replied.
"I went to the bathroom and slapped myself" - Tommy Paul on his match against Hubert Hurkacz at BNP Paribas Open 2023
In the third round of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Tommy Paul fought back from a set down to defeat Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
After the match, the American revealed that after losing the first set, he went to the bathroom and slapped himself to boost his energy.
"The first set, I felt a little too flat, I don't think either of us played too well, I guess there were like three breaks of serve," Paul said. "The conditions were not what I expected, I mean it was super slow and even more on my court."
"The ball was actually flying off the strings and slowing down, it was weird, but yeah, I just went to the bathroom after the first set and slapped myself around and said to myself, 'Come on, man, turn it up,' and then came out and played with a lot more energy in the second set. My game plan worked really well and just happy with how it went," he added.