The final at the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach will feature those who will be the two highest ranked American players on Monday. Defending champion Taylor Fritz will take on a rising Tommy Paul, who won last week in Dallas and keeps getting close and closer to a Top 10 debut. Who do you think will win?
ATP Delray Beach Final Prediction
Taylor Fritz vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: Paul 4-3 Fritz
Paul has been on a tear lately, winning last week in Dallas and now making another run to the final despite struggling in the first match against Michelsen. After surving that third set tiebreak, he hasn’t lost another set all week, including a very dominant win against Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. He has been steadily rising since the beginning of 2023 and even beat Fritz in their previous meeting, a grueling match in last year’s Acapulco semifinals.
Fritz, on the other hand, is playing his first tournament after a very good run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and he’s playing some excellent tennis, not dropping a single set en route to the final and securing a return to the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
As in their previous matchups, it should be a very tight encounter; Fritz has the bigger serve and groundstrokes, but Paul is the more consistent returner and rallier. He has a style that causes issues even to the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and has been known to cause Fritz all kinds of issues.
With that said, given the level that each player has showed so far this week and the fast court conditions in Delray Beach, Fritz should have a slight edge. His serve has been firing all week and Paul should have a lot of trouble breaking him; there should be at least one tiebreak in this match, which is likely to go down to the wire.
Prediction: Fritz in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
