Arthur Fils defeats Frances Tiafoe to win Cincinnati Open
French tennis player Arthur Fils defeated American Frances Tiafoe in the Cincinnati Open final 6:3, 1:6, 6:0 to claim the first ATP Masters 1000 title of his career. The match took place in Cincinnati on August 23, Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters.
First set goes to Fils
Fils, seeded 21st, broke early in the match and took a 3:0 lead. The Frenchman played actively from the baseline, attacked Tiafoe's second serve and forced his opponent into errors. At 5:3, he finished the first set with three consecutive aces, conceding no points in the final game.
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Rout in the deciding set
Tiafoe, who was playing in his second Cincinnati final, responded convincingly in the second set. The 28-year-old American broke in the second game, moved ahead 3:0, then broke Fils' serve once more and won the set 6:1.
In the third set, Fils quickly regained control of the match. He broke twice to take a 4:0 lead, while Tiafoe made an increasing number of backhand errors. The Frenchman won the deciding set without conceding a game — 6:0 — and lifted the Cincinnati Open trophy.
