Frances Tiafoe clinches ATP title at Houston despite late scare from Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Frances Tiafoe claimed his second ATP title in Houston on Sunday night to rise to a career-high ranking of No. 11. Tiafoe beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the final, completing a 7-6(1) 7-6(6) win to claim his first ATP title in over four years, his last one being at Delray Beach in 2018.

Ad Despite Etcheverry's solid baseline tennis throughout the tournament, it wasn't enough to secure him the title against Tiafoe, who matched his opponent's skill level and capitalised on crucial moments to dominate on serve for most of the match. ATP MiamiMedvedev beats Carballes Baena, Tiafoe wins 'brutal' clash, Norrie out26/03/2023 AT 07:01 However, in the closing stages of the match, Tiafoe faced a moment of crisis when Etcheverry broke his serve while he was serving for the title at 7-6 5-4. It was the first time Tiafoe had been broken throughout the entire tournament, but he managed to fend off the threat and rally back to win four of the final five points, ultimately emerging victorious.

The win in Houston comes after four straight final defeats in the last five years, including two that took place last season in Estoril and Tokyo. Argentina's Etcheverry is still looking for his first ATP Tour title after missing out in the Santiago final to Nicolas Jarry earlier in the year. Highlights: Ruud beats Kecmanovic in Estoril Open final Djokovic wants to start the clay-court season in top gear as he heads to Monte Carlo Exclusive: Ruud on his ‘advantage’ over some peers on clay “What a match tonight,” Tiafoe said after his win.

Referring to Etcheverry, Tiafoe continued: “I don’t know you that well, but I know you real well after today. «It was an absolute war and an unbelievable final. I hope you guys [in the crowd] all enjoyed it,