HOUSTON (AP) — Defending champion Frances Tiafoe and top-seeded Ben Shelton will play for the U.S. Males’s Clay Court docket Championship title after successful semifinal matches on Saturday.
Tiafoe, ranked twenty first, defeated Luciano Darderi 6-2, 7-6 (2) and appears to turn out to be the occasion’s first repeat champion since Steve Johnson did it in 2017 and 2018.
After a dominant opening, Darderi rallied for a second-set tiebreaker. However Tiafoe was relentless and clinched his first ATP remaining of the season on his opponent’s double fault.
“Nice efficiency from me in the present day,” mentioned Tiafoe, who credited extra aggression and extra enjoyable for his return to the ultimate. ”It’s a little bit totally different clay out right here in Houston, you possibly can play extra like a tough court docket.”
Shelton got here again from dropping a first-set tiebreaker to beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 and attain the second ATP remaining of his profession and his first on clay.
Shelton, a 21-year-old ranked sixteenth, acknowledged it took him till a couple of video games within the second set to search out his type.
“You’ve loads of outing right here, enjoying on clay. The sport simply strikes a little bit bit slower, you will have extra time to course of,” Shelton mentioned. “I attempted to make use of that to my benefit in the present day and actually joyful to be within the finals my first time right here in Houston.”
Tiafoe misplaced his solely profession assembly with Shelton on the U.S. Open quarterfinals final September.
