Tommy Paul played close to his best to upset top-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 while Sebastian Korda fought back to eliminate second seed Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on a night of major upsets at the Delray Beach Open.
The Florida crowd witnessed a significant shift in the draw as the tournament’s heavyweights were ousted in consecutive matches on Center Court. Tommy Paul, the 28-year-old world number 24 and fifth seed, dominated his long-time rival and top seed Taylor Fritz in just over 80 minutes.
Paul, who missed the 2025 edition and describes Delray as his “backyard,” utilized his superior athleticism to exploit a visibly hampered Fritz. The world number 8 has been struggling with oblique and knee issues throughout the early 2026 season and could not find his usual rhythm on serve, his main weapon.
Paul secured a decisive break in each set, neutralizing Fritz’s power with deep returns and consistent baseline pressure to reach the semi-finals. “Delray is one of my favorite events of the year. Always fun getting to play in my backyard. I was gutted to miss this event in 2025 and really excited to be back in 2026.”
Korda rallies past Ruud to end second seed’s Florida campaign
Sebastian Korda produced a spirited comeback to defeat the second-seeded Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. The 25-year-old American world number 50 initially struggled with the depth of Ruud’s heavy forehand, dropping the opening set to the world number 13.
However, Korda adjusted his court position in the second set, taking the ball earlier and forcing the Norwegian into defensive positions. Ruud, who had survived a three-hour marathon against Marcos Giron in the previous round, appeared to lose his physical edge as the match progressed.
Korda broke Ruud twice in both the second and third sets to secure his most significant hard-court victory of the year and set up a semi-final clash with third seed Flavio Cobolli.
Tien edged ouT Tiafoe
The surge of the next generation continued as 20-year-old Learner Tien edged out eighth seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in a match that lasted nearly three hours. Tien, the world number 23 and fourth seed, demonstrated the poise that saw him reach the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year.
In a back-and-forth encounter, Tiafoe utilized his experience to force a decider, but the younger American remained firm, breaking the world number 28 at 6-5 in the third set to advance. Tien will now face Tommy Paul in an all-American semi-final, while Tiafoe remains in search of his first title since 2024.
Earlier in the day, Italy’s Flavio Cobolli avoided the upset trend by defeating Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-2. The 23-year-old world number 32 utilized his superior clay-court fitness to outlast the qualifier in the humid Florida conditions. Cobolli’s victory ensures that at least one international seed remains in the hunt against the American contingent.