HSBC Championships 2026: Tommy Paul beats Botic van de Zandschulp to reach quarter-finals
• 2 minute read
2024 champion Tommy Paul is through to his third quarter-final at the Queen’s Club after defeating Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the HSBC Championships.
Paul is the only former champion left in the draw and moved a step closer to a second title in West London with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over the Dutch No.2.
The American came into the match trailing their head-to-head, having lost both previous meetings at the 2023 Davis Cup and the Rolex Paris Masters. However, the former world No. 8 delivered when it mattered most, recovering from 3-0 down in the tie-break to take the opening set before establishing control in the second to seal the win.
“I was 0 and 2 against him before this match today so I definitely knew it was going to be a tough one today”, Paul said following the win. “We’ve played some great matches, he’s just always gotten me so it was really nice to get the win today.”
“He came out firing and playing really well, I know he can do that so I just told myself to stick around and try and make him hit a bunch of balls.
"The level got really high there in the first set, I think he might've slipped or something so I hope he’s alright but I think the level was great.”
Next up, Paul will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who knocked out Britain’s Cam Norrie in the opening round. The Spaniard booked his place in the quarter-finals earlier today after overcoming Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-3.
Paul will take confidence not only from his performance against van de Zandschulp but also from his dominant record against the Spaniard, having won all five of their previous meetings.
Three key stats
- Strong return quality: Paul’s return quality for the match sat high at 8.3/10
- Second serve returns: He made 91% of second serve returns in compared to the draw average of 79%
- Winning points from defence: The American won an impressive 45% of points when defending compared to a draw average of 32%
Van de Zandschulp made a lightning-fast start to the second round clash, applying early pressure on Paul to secure an immediate break. The eighth seed bounced back quickly and a run of three consecutive breaks, the score settled at 3-3.
Paul was forced onto the backfoot again in the first set tie-break as the Dutchman surged into a 3-0 lead with a backhand passing shot. However, the 2026 Houston Open champion found another level and drew back level before striking a blistering forehand winner to earn the decisive mini-break and close out the set.
He carried that momentum into the second set, racing into a 2-0 lead and never looking back. Paul remained sturdy on serve, dropping just six points on serve before securing victory in just under an hour and 45 minutes.
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