Tiafoe beats Fucsovics in Stuttgart Open to reach maiden grass final

Frances Tiafoe will contest his first grass court final after the American player outlasted Marton Fucsovics in a marathon Stuttgart Open tie-break on Saturday.

Tiafoe won the semifinal 6-3, 7-6 (11) after saving six set points in the tie-break. He seized his chance at 11-10 down to win the next three points, sealing victory with a stinging return shot.

“Crazy match, crazy second set, I’m just happy to get through,” he said. “I wasn’t relaxed in that tiebreak at all.”

Tiafoe is 2-4 in finals. The last time he played for a title was his win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry on clay in Houston in April.

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Hungarian player Fucsovics came through qualifying in Stuttgart and upset Tiafoe’s friend and fellow American player Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals on Friday. He was bidding to reach his first final since 2021.

Tiafoe faces fourth-seeded Polish player Hubert Hurkacz or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the final on Sunday.