Intensity helps Paul to unlock Hurkacz

When things got a little topsy-turvy at the Italian Open quarter-finals on May 16, Tommy Paul told himself that he had to up the "intensity" to win.

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The American did just that, booking a last-four spot in Rome after battling through a see-saw encounter with Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in a match that featured 13 breaks of serve.

The 14th-seeded Paul won 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 and reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final on clay.

"I started off pretty well, but things got away from me in the second set and beginning of the third," said the 26-year-old, who clinched his 150th win of his tour career.

"I just had to stick around. I started looking for my forehand, hitting my forehand bigger and playing with a little more intensity.

That was probably the key for me in the end." Paul trailed 2-0 early in the third set before he then got in his groove to bounce back.