Frances Tiafoe beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (8-6) in 1 hour and 53 minutes in the final at the Fayez Sarofim & Co US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston to win his first ATP Tour title since his maiden title in Delray Beach in 2018.
Tiafoe did not drop a set en route to his second career ATP 250 title and lost his serve only once during the week.
Both players went on serve without facing any break points in the opening set. Etcheverry held serve in the eighth game after two deuces to draw level to 4-4. The Argentine served to stay in the set at 4-5 and fired an ace down the T line to hold serve for 5-5. Both players held serve in the 11th and 12th game to set up a tie-break.
Tiafoe earned an early mini-break and forced an error from Etcheverry on the fourth point to open up a 3-1 lead. Tiafoe hit a backhand passing shot winner and landed another winner from behind the baseline to race out to a 5-1 lead in the tie-break. Tiafoe hit a backhand return winner for 6-1 and sealed the first set 7-6 with an ace after 57 minutes.
After four holds of serve Tiafoe hit a backhand down the line at 2-2 0-4 to earn the first break of the match at love. The US player served well in the sixth and eighth games to take a 5-3 lead.
Etcheverry converted his second break-back point to draw level to 5-5, when Tiafoe was serving for the title at 7-6 5-4. It was the first time that Tiafoe dropped his serve in the entire tournament. Tiafoe came back from 3-5 down in the tie-break by winning three consecutive points to earn a 6-5 lead creating a match point. Etcheverry saved it with a forehand down the line, but he faced the second match point after a slice error. Tiafoe sealed the win on his second match point with his 12th ace of the match.
Tiafoe finished runner-up in two finals in Tokyo and Estoril and reached the semifinal at the US Open last year. This year the world number 11 player reached the quarter finals in Dallas and Acapulco and the semifinal in Indian Wells.
“I don’t know you well, but I know you really well after today. It was an absolute war and an unbelievable final. I hope you guys in the crowd all enjoyed, because that’s what it’s about. My second title, here on US soil, so thank you to the supportive crowd”, said Tiafoe. Etcheverry is still looking for his maiden ATP Tour title after finishing runner-up to Nicolas Jarry in the Santiago de Chile final.
