Tommy Paul beats Marcus Giron in three sets at SMU’s final Dallas Open

The third and final Dallas Open championship match staged at SMU turned into a fitting going-away gift for a packed house.

A rare ATP Tour all-American championship pairing produced two and a half hours of riveting tennis with Tommy Paul of Florida squeezing past Californian Marcos Giron 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3 Sunday afternoon at SMU’s Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex.

Photos: Tommy Paul defeats Marcos Giron in Dallas Open final

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Next year the tournament moves to Frisco and will step up in ATP stature from a 250 to a 500 event with an increase in prize money. The move ends SMU’s long association with professional tennis, notably hosting the WCT Finals in the 1970s.

For two sets Giron stayed on the heels of Paul, each banging away from the baseline with favored forehands probing the opponent’s two-handed backhand.

“This was the best final I’ve ever played. I’ve been watching Marcos all week and it is so much fun to see him play,’’ said Paul. “This is my first title in the states [he won in Sweden in 2021] and the best by far.’’

Giron, 30, the 2014 NCAA Division I singles champion, appeared to have momentum after leveling the match by taking the second set.

But Paul, 26, the second seed ranked No. 15 in the world, regained the upper hand with an early break of serve in the final set and made it stand up for his second Tour victory in four final appearances.

“I was just hoping he wouldn’t keep playing at that level,’’ Paul joked. “Really, I came out with a lot more energy in the third set. Marcos could have easily won that match which would have meant knocking off three seeded players this week.’’

Giron spoke highly of his opponent, going so far to say if he had to lose, he would rather it be to Paul.

Statistically, Paul doubled Giron in winners (30-15) and did a better job of limiting his unforced errors (10-18).

One of Paul’s biggest shots, a forehand on the run at full stretch, gave him a 6-2 lead in the first-set tiebreaker. He repeated the shot, much to the delight of the crowd, in building a lead in the third set.

On the rare occasions when Paul fell behind on serve, he was able to turn up the volume, hitting a maximum of 136 mph on one.

Paul noted the improvement Giron has made on his backhand left him with not many areas to attack because “everybody knows Marcos has one of the best forehands on Tour.’’

New Jersey native Paul is coming off a profitable 2023 campaign and recently splurged on a $2.5 million estate in Boca Raton, Fla., the state he has called home for the last 11 years. When a tennis racquet is not in his hands, there is a good chance it could be replaced by a fishing pole.

Neither Paul or Giron dropped a set on the way to the title match.

Paul’s victims included 21-year-old American Ben Shelton in a Saturday semifinal. Paul made only three unforced errors against Shelton, the third seed ranked No. 16.

Last year Paul reached title matches at the Mexican Open and the Eastbourne International in the United Kingdom, falling in three sets in each instance.

Giron, No. 67 in the world, came into the final “playing the best tennis of my life’' highlighted by a 6-1, 6-4 upset of top-seeded Frances Tiafoe in a Thursday quarterfinal. Tiafoe entered the event as the second-highest-ranking American at No. 14 in the world.

Born in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where he still makes his home, Giron had made one previous final, the 2022 San Diego Open. He came into Sunday’s final with a 1-1 ATP record against Paul.

With a purse of $841,590, the Dallas Open is one of only 10 in the U.S. this year on the ATP Tour calendar.

Tiebreaker trivia: Every set in the singles final of the previous two Dallas Opens went to a tiebreaker. China’s Yibing Wu defeated John Isner in a marathon third-set tiebreaker to win the title last year. American Reilly Opelka prevailed in a pair of tiebreakers to win in straight sets over countryman Jenson Brooksby in 2022. It was not s surprise when the first set on Sunday’s final also needed tiebreaker. But the streak was finally broken in the second set.

Doubles: The Australian duo of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson prevailed over American William Blumberg and Australian Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 2-6, 10-8 to claim the doubles title. It marks the fifth doubles title for Purcell and the second time he has partnered with Thompson for a tournament crown.

Blumberg was unable to add to his career total of three doubles titles.

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