In a surprising turn of events at the Japan Open, fifth seed Tommy Paul suffered an early exit, falling to Tomas Machac in a thrilling second-round match on Saturday. The final score was 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), marking another upset in the tournament.
Tommy Paul’s defeat adds to the list of early exits for top players, leaving only two of the eight seeded competitors remaining in the draw. Earlier in the tournament, top seed Taylor Fritz, third seed Casper Ruud, fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, and seventh seed Frances Tiafoe were all eliminated in the first round. Additionally, Hubert Hurkacz, the second seed, was ousted by Britain’s Jack Draper in the second round.
The match began in Paul’s favor, as he raced to a commanding lead by winning five consecutive games in the first set. However, Machac, ranked 34th in the world, showcased his resilience by rebounding in the second set and displaying remarkable tenacity when he found himself down 3-0 in the deciding set.
“I’m just happy that I’m in, and I try to believe as much as possible,” said the 23-year-old Machac, who is vying for his first career title.
After regrouping in the second set, Machac expressed his satisfaction with his performance, saying, “In the third set, I was playing unbelievable, so I’m super-happy with my performance.”
Machac will face either Australia’s Christopher O’Connell or American Alex Michelsen in the quarterfinals, as he looks to build on this momentum and continue his surprising run at the Japan Open.
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