Semi-Final Match Preview: Tommy Paul and Nicolas Jarry battle for glory at Rome Open

Tommy Paul (No. 16) and Nicolas Jarry (No. 24) will vie for their first Masters 1000 final at the Rome Open. The American secured back-to-back top-10 wins for the first time in his career and enters in high spirits after overcoming Hubert Hurkacz in three sets.

However, Jarry comes off a stunning victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas and is hopeful of chasing the title.

The world No. 16 represents the hope for an American to reclaim the throne at the Foro Italico, 22 years after Andre Agassi's triumph in 2002. At 28 years old, Paul reached his third Masters 1000 semifinal and the first on clay. Additionally, he secured his 150th tour win.

The 14th seed defeated Aslan Karatsev (No. 86), Dominik Koepfer (No. 52), and Daniil Medvedev (No. 4) in straight sets on his path, and worked a bit harder against world No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz to surpass him 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. The Pole had been one of the standout performers in the clay swing with an 11-2 record and the title at the Estoril Open.

Paul will enter the showdown with Jarry brimming with confidence after securing consecutive victories against top-10 players for the first time in his career. However, the Chilean world No. 24 leads the head-to-head 1-0, setting the stage for an open duel between two players who have a golden opportunity to play their first Masters 1000 final.

The Tower from Santiago surprised by staging a comeback against 6th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas (3-6, 7-5, 6-4) and joined his compatriot Alejandro Tabilo in the semifinals. The 28-year-old Jarry secured one of the best victories of his career by defeating the Greek on clay for the first time, increasing his head-to-head record to 4-2 in his favor.

The Chilean took advantage of Ugo Humbert's absence (No. 15) in the draw and avoided seeded opponents until the clash with Tsitsipas. Jarry defeated local players Matteo Arnaldi (No. 37) and Stefano Naolitano (No.125), and Frenchman Alexandre Müller (No. 109) from the qualifiers.

Jarry has showcased his best weapons in Rome: effective serving and powerful forehand shots to dominate the points. Despite his height of 6 feet 7 inches (201 cm), the South American moves naturally like a clay-court player and has no trouble sustaining long rallies.