Frances Tiafoe saves 2 MPs, stuns Holger Rune to achieve Cincinnati closing | ATP Tour

Cincinnati

Tiafoe saves 2 MPs, stuns Rune to achieve Cincinnati closing

American to play World No. 1 Sinner for the title

August 19, 2024

Frances Tiafoe reached his first ATP Masters 1000 closing in dramatic vogue on Sunday on the Cincinnati Open.

The American rallied from a 2-5 deficit within the third set of his semi-final towards Holger Rune and saved two match factors on serve at 4-5 earlier than rallying previous the fifteenth seed 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4). Tiafoe will face Jannik Sinner, the No. 1 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings, on Monday for the trophy.

“Loopy, loopy. That final set was nuts,” Tiafoe mentioned in his on-court interview. “It acquired fairly breezy there on the finish so we had been sort of simply enjoying the odds. However yeah, I acquired actually fortunate there. I had a pair internet cords, however I additionally battled. I competed actually onerous and put myself in place.”

🌟 The dream remains to be alive 🌟@FTiafoe takes out Rune with a 4-6 6-1 7-6 win to face Sinner within the #CincyTennis closing!@CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/v1Ip4lREMk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 19, 2024

Tiafoe started the week with a 19-18 file on the season. However he has discovered type in a giant method beneath the tutelage of latest coach David Witt, changing into the primary American to achieve the Cincinnati closing since John Isner in 2013.

Along with his victory, Tiafoe ascended to No. 20 within the PIF ATP Stay Rankings. When the brand new PIF ATP Rankings are launched, there can be 5 Individuals — Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Tiafoe — contained in the Prime 20 for the primary time because the week of 24 February 1997.

The followers’ favorite was simply millimetres from shedding. On the primary match level he confronted at 4-5, Tiafoe hit a forehand that clipped the highest of the online and simply popped over to stave off elimination. Rune had one other alternative to shut out the match, however missed a backhand return.

“At 5-3 I performed a extremely powerful sport, made returns. The luck goes in your facet generally. These internet cords made an enormous, big distinction,” Tiafoe mentioned. “Saved certainly one of my match factors like that. However within the breaker I got here up with some good photographs, man. I performed properly, hit some good serves early, didn’t serve nice on the finish. However I battled, I battled and he acquired slightly tight. One factor led to a different and right here we’re.”

From there, momentum was firmly within the American’s nook. Rune has among the best backhands on the earth, however Tiafoe was keen to commerce blows off that facet and sometimes got here out higher in these rallies.

The three-time ATP Tour titlist hit a sensational curling backhand passing shot crosscourt to take a 6/3 lead within the final-set tie-break and was in a position to seal his victory after two hours and 9 minutes.

Tiafoe hit 13 aces and saved 4 of the six break factors he confronted in accordance with Infosys ATP Stats. The important thing was second-serve success — the unseeded American received 61 per cent of these factors and Rune solely managed to seize 46 per cent of them.

Sinner leads Tiafoe 3-1 of their Lexus ATP Head2Head collection and this can be their first match of the season. They most lately clashed final yr in Vienna, the place the Italian received 6-3, 6-4. With that in thoughts, the American mentioned that the highest seed is the favorite, however he’s excited for the chance to battle in entrance of the Cincinnati followers.

“Completely, for positive he’s, proper? He’s misplaced like [five] matches all yr? He’s the favorite in each match he performs, no query about it,” Tiafoe mentioned. “You’ve acquired to tip your hat to a man like him.”