HSBC Championships 2026: Tommy Paul knocks out fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to keep winning streak alive
• 2 minute read
Tommy Paul will now be a firm favourite for the HSBC Championships title heading into the semi-finals Saturday at The Queen’s Club.
Former world No.8 Paul knocked out fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 7-6(4) in an hour and 29 minutes to reach the final four.
The 2024 champion is now on an eight-match winning streak at the HSBC Championships, having missed last year’s tournament due to injury.
This will be Paul’s fifth ATP semi-final of the season as he aims to seal his second title of 2026 – adding to a trophy-winning campaign in Houston.
Paul continues his immaculate record against Spain’s Davidovich Fokina, which now sits at 6-0 after his victory at Queen’s.
“It got real tricky there at the end,” Paul said. I started finding my first serve when I really needed it late in the second set and in the breaker. It was a rollercoaster breaker; it was a lot of momentum changes. I was happy to get through that.
“It’s never an easy match against him. We always have high-level matches. It was another one today.
“I know he wants to beat me, maybe more than the next guy. I knew I had to be ready. He really raised his level in the second set, and I had to stick with him.”
Paul’s all-court game has served him well so far at the HSBC Championships, with the American yet to drop a set this week.
Against Davidovich Fokina, he was particularly effective when either player was at the net. When he came in to volley, Paul won 75% of points (9/12), and when the Spaniard came in, he was also winning at a 75% hit rate (3/4).
Having missed this key part of the season due to an abdominal injury last year, Paul is looking back to his best on the grass.
“I like getting rewarded for hitting good shots,” he said about what he likes about playing on the surface. “I like getting to the net, even though today was more of a baseline match. The grass suits my game a little bit, and I definitely like playing on these courts, that’s for sure.”
His opponent in the next round will be Ugo Humbert, who became the first French player to reach the semi-finals at Queen’s since 2019.
Humbert had to battle through two matches on Friday – completing his final set against Hamad Medjedovic before returning later in the day to beat Rinky Hijikata.
He saved four match points in the second set against Medjedovic, and also knocked out former champion Marin Cilic in the opening round.
This week, the Frenchman has been particularly impressive in shorter rallies and from the baseline. Over the course of his three matches, he’s won 83% of points with 0-4 shots in the rally compared to a tour average 65%.
With both players at the baseline, he’s won 82% of points vs the tour average 74%.
Paul has won his three previous meetings with Humbert, most recently at Indian Wells in 2024. They will play in the second match of the day on the Andy Murray Arena on Saturday.
You can watch the HSBC Championships semi-finals live on the BBC, BBC digital services, and Tennis Channel.
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