Clay courts stir up many thoughts in tennis fans: sliding gets, baseline wars of attrition, dirty socks. One that usually doesn’t surface is net play. It’s more suited for faster courts, like grass or hard, rather than the slow stuff, since you can move forward quicker.
But the red clay at River Oaks Country Club doesn’t play exactly like it does in Europe, and Paul made it a point to get forward. When he did, he was rewarded: he won 28 of 35 points, or 80 percent.
“Should’ve come to the net more,” he told press after the match. “That was the one thing I was thinking the whole time—how do I get to net.”
“It was weird because it felt easier to get to net on return games than service games.”
The sentiment was also notable because Ben Shelton, Paul’s compatriot who won earlier that evening, said something similar.
“It’s actually an easier surface to serve and volley on for me than any other tournament on the calendar,” said Shelton, who defeated Zhizhen Zhang 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).
