Carballes Baena goes the distance to win Marrakesh title; Tiafoe captures ATP Houston title

MARRAKESH, Morocco: Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena won a three-hour final against Frenchman Alexandre Muller in Marrakesh on Sunday to claim his second ATP title.

Carballes Baena dropped the first set against his 126th-ranked opponent but rallied to earn a 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 victory. “I am so tired, but I am very, very happy. It was a very, very tough match,” Carballes Baena said in his on-court interview.

“I tried to fight every point. I don’t know what to say. I am so happy.” The 30-year-old Carballes Baena is expected to enter the top 50 for the first time on Monday after beginning this week as world number 82. His only other tour-level title also came on clay at Quito in 2018.

Mission accomplished for Tiafoe

In Houston, Texas, top-seeded Frances Tiafoe defeated Thomas Etcheverry 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (8/6) to win the ATP clay court title on a double-duty day.

The American, playing his first ATP tournament as the top seed, had to win twice on Sunday to secure the crown thanks to the weather delays earlier in the week. After beating Gijs Brouwer 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals he said he was up for the challenge.

“I’m running on adrenaline,” Tiafoe told the crowd after beating Brouwer. “I’m on a mission so I’m happy.” By Sunday night it was mission accomplished as Tiafoe claimed his second ATP title and his first since 2018 in Delray Beach. Since then he’d come up empty in four finals appearances. The soggy week meant Tiafoe in fact had to win four matches in two days, playing his first two of the week on Saturday. He didn’t drop a set and was broken just once — when he served for the title against Etcheverry at 5-4 in the second set. He trailed 1-3 and 3-5 in the tiebreaker but clinched the victory on his second match