Top Things To Know for Monday, Feb. 19
Finals
All-American Final
For the fourth time in the tournament's 32-year history, both singles finalists are American. It also happens to be the second straight week that two Americans are meeting in an ATP final after last week's Dallas final.
Highest-Ranked Final in DBO History
Taylor Fritz is ranked No. 9 in the world and Tommy Paul is No. 14, making this the highest-ranked final in tournament history. The previous high was in 2017 when No. 21 Jack Sock def. No. 4 Milos Raonic.
Back-to-Back Delray Beach Titles?
Defending champion Taylor Fritz will try to become only the second player to win back-to-back championships in the 32 years of this tournament, joining Jason Stoltenberg who won in 1996-97.
Top Seeds Surging...But Third Seeds Better
The top seed has won this tournament only three times previously, with a 3-5 record in the final. Two of them were in the last two years, including Taylor Fritz last year. He'll try to repeat the feat Sunday. Tommy Paul, the third seed, has history on his side - third seeds have a 4-1 record in the final here.
First and Third Seeds in Both Singles and Doubles Finals
The first and third seeded doubles teams also are in the finals. Top seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Neal Skupski won two tiebreaks to advance to the final, where they will meet third seeds Julian Cash and Robert Galloway.
Singles Final - (1) Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. (3) Tommy Paul (USA) –
Fritz, based in Miami, is the defending champion, ranked No. 9 in the world, and reached the quarterfinals at the last two Grand Slams. When he won this title last year ranked No. 7, he became the tournament's first Top 10 champion, and he can become its second with a win on Sunday. Paul, who lives in West Boca full time, is world-ranked No. 14, won the title last week in Dallas and is on a seven-match win streak. The Dallas title was just his second overall and his first since 2021. His best Grand Slam result is a semifinal finish at the 2023 Australian Open. The head-to-head between Fritz and Paul in ATP matches is tied 2-2, with Paul winning their most recent match last year in a third-set tiebreak.
Doubles Final - (1) Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico) / Neal Skupski (Great Britain) vs (3) Julian Cash (Great Britain) / Robert Galloway (USA)
The top seeds are accomplished tour veterans. Skupski has been ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles and he's a three-time Grand Slam champion, capturing the doubles title at Wimbledon last year and the mixed doubles title there in 2021 and 2022. His partner Gonzalez turns 41 next week and is coming off the best season of his career, capturing five of his 22 career titles including two Masters 1000 titles to rise to a career-high No. 7 in doubles. Their opponents are American Galloway, a 31-year-old who reached his first Grand Slam doubles quarterfinal last year at the US Open, and Briton Cash who reached his first three ATP Tour doubles finals last season.
Hall of Famer Richard Evans in the DBO Press Room
Journalist and tennis administrator Richard Evans, who has covered more than 200 Grand Slam tournaments starting with 1960 Wimbledon and has covered the Delray Beach Open since 2008, will receive the highest honor in tennis in July when he will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.
In Memory of Jim Martz
We sadly said goodbye to longtime Delray Beach Open journalist Jim Martz, who passed away in December. Jim was the founder and publisher of Florida Tennis Magazine and was well-known and well-respected by both players and journalists throughout the country and especially in South Florida.
