Tommy Paul wins the Stockholm Open for 3rd trophy this year

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Tommy Paul capped a dominant week by winning the Stockholm Open for a second time on Sunday.

The fourth-seeded American, who hadn’t dropped a set this week, beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in the 85-minute final.

It was a third tour-level trophy of the year for Paul after his victories at the Dallas Open and Queen’s Club. His only previous ATP title before this year was in Stockholm in 2021.

“It’s a very special place for me,” Paul said. “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.

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

It was also a critical win to Paul's hopes of reaching the ATP Finals for the second time in his career. The 27-year-old moved past Dimitrov in the race to qualify for the season-ending tournament for the year’s top eight players.

Stockholm continued to prove mixed fortunes for Dimitrov. The Bulgarian won the tournament in 2013 but lost in the final the following year as well as in 2017.

It was expected to be a titanic tussle between the fourth and third seeds but Paul broke to love in the second game and swiftly raced into a 4-1 lead.

Dimitrov then took two straight games as he threatened to draw level but Paul broke straight back and went on to take the opening set after another rapid exchange of breaks.

Paul then got the crucial break in the penultimate game of the second set and served out the match.

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The Associated Press