The Pick, presented by DraftKings Sportsbook: Tommy Paul vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Paris Masters

World No. 31 Tommy Paul has played some fantastic tennis all year long, but this has been a particularly special week for the American. At the Rolex Paris Masters, Paul has eliminated Roberto Bautista Agut, Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta. That second win was arguably the biggest of his career, but the fact that he was able to back it up with a straight-set win over Carreno Busta shows that he is locked in at the right time—and hoping to make even more noise. Now, Paul will try and beat world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time in his career, for a spot in the semifinals.

We’re not going to sit here and tell you that Paul will beat Tsitsipas outright. But Paul has looked unflappable in Paris this week, and that’s important to note against his emotionally up-and-down opponent. If Paul can get under Tsitsipas’ skin in this match, anything can happen. Don't rule that out, as the American can be a frustrating foe.

Not many players in the world cover the court as well as Paul does, which means that Tsitsipas might have a hard time hitting clean winners. Paul also has a very strong backhand that will frustrate Tsitsipas, who normally has a huge edge in backhand-to-backhand exchanges. On top of that, Paul’s forehand has looked more like a weapon than a weakness this week. He now looks the part of a complete player.

This match reeks of one in which these two players will be all tied up after two sets—which means you might see one of Tsitsipas’ patented bathroom breaks. It’s not ideal that Tsitsipas is 2-0 in this head-to-head, but Paul is a better player now than he has been at any point in his career. It wouldn’t be shocking if he were to end up being the top American on the ATP Tour by the end of the 2023 season. He is coming into this own right now, and he should have sky-high confidence after having just defeated one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

The Pick: Paul To Win A Set (-120)