Who is still "hungry" for more?

It's a question worth asking, isn't it?

It's getting closer to the end of the year. Traveling far to the east becomes a question of motivation for players from other parts of the world. We have already mentioned it in a few previews, but it's not unusual for South Americans to have a bit of a dip... far away from home and with the European indoor hardcourt swing coming up. Can we put Tabilo in this category? First of all, he is not your typical clay-courter, not even close. He plays very well on all surfaces; perhaps even better on hardcourt than on clay. Last year, he had some really good results in China... including winning Chengdu, after going through qualifying. However, he had missed a lot of 2025 due to injury, so there was desire and energy. 2026 has been a bit different... he has played quite many matches and has had a good amount of success already, both on clay and during the hardcourt swing in the US. I'm having some doubts due to his Davis Cup loss, followed by a flat performance in Chengdu, where he was defending the title. It's true that it was a short turnaround and that Mannarino was playing well, so let's keep that in mind. Also, he looked awful in Båstad and Estoril and then went to the US and played really well straight away in Washington, so it could very well happen again!

Paul didn't have the best hardcourt swing at home in the US, even if the loss to Alcaraz is nothing to be ashamed of. However, he is a lot more well-rested... no Davis Cup and no Chengdu/Hangzhou. His season has not been bad, but there should still be a lot of will to push hard now for the rest! I don't have a lot to say about the conditions and matchup for this specific match; I think they are quite suitable for both... but Tabilo's BH was really poor in his last match, something that Paul can pick on if the Chilean doesn't improve...