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Becomes youngest American to win title since Roddick, 19, in 2002
First final nerves? Not for Frances Tiafoe. The 20-year-old American coasted to his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday, beating German Peter Gojowczyk of Germany 6-1, 6-4 at the Delray Beach Open. Tiafoe becomes the youngest American to win an ATP World Tour title since 19-year-old Andy Roddick at 2002 Houston, and his maiden crown caps off the best two weeks of his career.

Before last week's New York Open, Tiafoe had won nine tour-level matches (9-31) and had never reached a tour-level quarter-final. But after reaching the last eight in New York (l. to Anderson) and triumphing in Delray Beach, Tiafoe almost doubled his tour-level win count (16) in two weeks.


“I just can't believe it. A lot's going through my mind. If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I was going to win a title at 20 years old, I probably would have laughed. It's unbelievable,” Tiafoe said.

In South Florida, the #NextGenATP American had to beat World No. 10 Juan Martin del Potro and Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung, who is the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion. In the semi-finals, Tiafoe knocked out #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who was also seeking his first first tour-level final.

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Gojowczyk, however, had been a tricky opponent for Americans all week. The German had beaten a trio of Tiafoe's compatriots – John Isner, Reilly Opelka and Steve Johnson – to make his second ATP World Tour final (2017 Metz, d. Paire).

But the German was slow to start on Sunday. Tiafoe rattled off his service games with ease, and he smacked a forehand return winner to gain a double-break lead at 4-0. Gojowcyzk had his left hamstring wrapped during the 5-0 changeover, but Tiafoe didn't slow down, taking the first set after 25 minutes when Gojowcyzk slapped a forehand return long.

The 28-year-old German improved his level in the second set, keeping more balls in play. But almost every time Tiafoe faced pressure on his serve, he was brave and earned the reward for it: his first ATP World Tour title. The 20-year-old fell to the court after a second-serve ace on match point.


He's the first among a heralded class of #NextGenATP Americans, which includes Opelka and Taylor Fritz, to win an ATP World Tour title. Tiafoe will receive 250 ATP Rankings points and is projected to rise to No. 61 in the ATP Rankings, just one spot off his career high, on Monday. He will also receive $94,280 in prize money. Gojowczyk will receive 150 ATP Rankings points and $49,650 in prize money.

Tiafoe is also projected to climb to second place in the ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight players who compete at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 6-10 November in Milan.

American caps off career-best stretch with maiden title
Two weeks ago, Frances Tiafoe hadn't reached an ATP World Tour quarter-final. Now he's an ATP World Tour titlist. The 20-year-old right-hander became the youngest American to win an ATP World Tour title since 19-year-old Andy Roddick at 2002 Houston, and he had to take the hard route to his maiden trophy.

Tiafoe beat Aussie Matthew Ebden, who had beaten him earlier this year, then childhood idol and World No. 10 Juan Martin del Potro and Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung. In the semi-finals, the #NextGenATP American beat #NextGenATP Denis Shapovalov, and in Sunday's final, Tiafoe outplayed 2017 Metz titlist Peter Gojowczyk of Germany.

After his triumph, Tiafoe talked with ATPWorldTour.com about the career accomplishment.

How does it feel to win your first ATP World Tour title?
Unbelievable feeling. I'm just happy I got it done so early in my career, so I can get that off my back. A lot of quality players don't have titles so it's an unbelievable feeling. I'm happy to get it done. Now onto the next, really enjoy these next couple of days and then get back on the horse, turn the page and get ready for Indian Wells.

Your dad's been in Delray Beach all week. How special is it to share this moment with him?
He's ecstatic. He's done so much for me and my brother and just the whole family in general. Everything I'm doing now is returning the favour. I'm just really happy about the way I'm playing, how I've grown as a person, because that's what matters the most, and how humble I've stayed throughout the process. And I think all those traits have been from him.


You mentioned your brother. Have you spoken to Franklin yet?
No, I haven't spoken with anybody yet. So I'm pretty excited to get on the phone and talk with some of these guys.

You've been walking onto the court with a University of Maryland hoodie all week. What does College Park [his home city] mean to you?
I just love that whole area, the whole DMV [nickname for the District, Maryland, Virginia area of the U.S.]. I rep it. Right now I'm wearing a shirt, 'Rep Your City'. I'm just really in love with where I'm from, and that whole area has done so much for me. You just want to rep it as much as possible.... I've been hanging out a lot in [Washington] D.C., and it's an amazing place.

Read More: #NextGenATP Tiafoe's Big Breakthrough

There are six 20-year-old Americans in the Top 200. You were the last of the six to reach a quarter-final, but you are the first of the six to win a title. How do you explain that?
I really don't know. It's an unbelievable turnaround. I wasn't expecting this this week. I was just going to go and play Delpo in the second round. I did, and beat some quality players along the way and happy to get it done this week.

You came into New York last week, you had nine tour-level wins. Now the last two weeks you've added seven to the nine. What's been clicking in your game?
Serving great. Competing really well. Not really playing so many loose points. Playing my game, playing aggressive and competing just each and every point and not letting guys really just roll over me. I'm staying tough, I think that's big.


You mentioned Del Potro, your childhood hero. You had lost to him twice before. You finally beat him on Thursday. Did you feel after that match that this could be your title?
Yeah, I felt like [Hyeon] Chung was beatable. I felt like I could beat him, then [Denis] Shapovalov. Seeing that [John] Isner lost and [Jack] Sock lost. I felt like it was opening up and it did, and here I am.

More than half of your main-draw matches at all levels – Futures, Challengers, ATP World Tour – have gone to a deciding set, including three this week. What does that say about you and your game?
Unbelievable. It seems like I get down to the wire pretty often. Just competing. I love being out there. I love competing. I really don't know. It kind of just happens.

You're the youngest American to win a title since 19-year-old Andy Roddick at 2002 Houston. Could you have ever envisioned your first title at age 20?
No, no. I always wanted to win my first title in D.C.. That would have been great. But now it's here, and I'm really happy about it.

Now that you've got the title. What are your goals for the rest of the season?
To get more. Why not? To get more in the 250s, 500s. Go deep in the Masters 1000s, have some runs at Slams. I want to end the year inside the Top 30... Now I feel like I'm back in the mix again. My game's back. Rough start to the season, but now I'm back. Now I've played more matches, I'm feeling more confident. So sky's the limit for me.

Frances Tiafoe wygrał turniej ATP World Tour 250 na kortach twardych w Delray Beach na Florydzie. W decydującym pojedynku Amerykanin nie dał szans Niemcowi Peterowi Gojowczykowi.

Niedzielny finał trwał zaledwie 61 minut i nie był wielkim widowiskiem. Wiatr tradycyjnie już mocno kręcił, a do tego Peter Gojowczyk (ATP 64) nie poruszał się za dobrze po korcie. Późnej skorzystał jeszcze z interwencji medycznej, ale na nic się ona zdała. W pierwszym secie szybko zrobiło się 5:0 dla Amerykanina, natomiast w drugiej partii faworyt gospodarzy przełamał w trzecim i piątym gemie, co pozwoliło mu kontrolować przebieg wydarzeń.
Frances Tiafoe (ATP 91) wygrał ostatecznie 6:1, 6:4 i sięgnął po premierowe trofeum w głównym cyklu. Po piłce meczowej nie mógł w to uwierzyć i świętował razem ze sztabem trenerskim. Mieszkający w Orlando 20-latek został pierwszym mistrzem z amerykańskiej #NextGenATP. Ostatnim tak młodym reprezentantem USA, który wygrał zawody rangi ATP World Tour, był Andy Roddick (Houston 2002).

Dzięki zwycięstwu w Delray Beach Open 2018 Tiafoe znajdzie się w okolicy zajmowanej już kiedyś 60. pozycji. Życiówkę w rankingu ATP na pewno poprawi Gojowczyk, który zbliży się do Top 50. Niedzielna porażka zakończyła serię ośmiu kolejnych zwycięstw Niemca w głównym cyklu i w sumie 14 na zawodowych kortach nad reprezentantami USA. Tenisista naszych zachodnich sąsiadów nie powtórzył zeszłorocznego sukcesu z halowego turnieju w Metz, gdzie cieszył się z premierowego trofeum w karierze.

W niedzielę rozegrano również finał debla. Po tytuł sięgnęli Amerykanie Jack Sock i Jackson Withrow, którzy pokonali oznaczonych czwartym numerem Nicholasa Monroe'a i Johna-Patricka Smitha 4:6, 6:4, 10-8. Sock pokazywał już wiele razy swoje deblowe umiejętności, wygrywając m.in. Wimbledon 2014 w parze z Vaskiem Pospisilem, dlatego jego sukces na Florydzie nie jest zaskoczeniem. Natomiast partnerujący mu Withrow dopiero co awansował kilka tygodni temu do Top 100, a teraz świętował pierwszy tytuł w głównym cyklu.

Delray Beach Open, Delray Beach (USA)
ATP World Tour 250, kort twardy, pula nagród 556 tys. dolarów
niedziela, 25 lutego

How #NextGenATP Tiafoe Learned How To Focus, Play Better Than Ever
“The little things”: They can be hard to describe, but no one doubts that those tiny details can decide a match, a tournament and a season.
#NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe and his coach Robby Ginepri both admit that Tiafoe, who won his maiden ATP World Tour title last month at the Delray Beach Open, is handling “the little things” better than in the past.
Ginepri, however, doesn't struggle to conjure up an example of how Tiafoe used to goof the specifics of his professional life, you know, “little things”, such as remembering to bring your racquets to practice.
A year before Tiafoe triumphed in South Florida, Ginepri wanted to test his player's growing maturity, kind of like how parents test their children by gradually giving them more responsibility.
Ginepri would often handle Tiafoe's racquets during a tournament. He'd bring them to the stringer and pick them up before matches or practices. But at last year's Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in February, Ginepri delegated the task to Tiafoe.

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“Let's see if you can handle it,” he remembers saying.
When it came time to practise, Tiafoe, then 19, arrived at the court in Acapulco, set down his bag and opened it. He discovered his clothes and a pair of shoes, but no racquets.
“He kind of looked at me like, 'Are you going to get them?'” Ginepri remembered.
Tiafoe jogged to the stringers' desk as his warm-up for practice.
“Little things like that would pop up several times a day, 10 times a week, 40 times a month,” Ginepri told ATPWorldTour.com. “You're losing some ground here.”
In a sport where a couple points can decide a match and therefore a tournament, it's easy to extrapolate how forgetting such crucial details – i.e. bringing your racquets to practice – can affect a player in a match and limit his progression.
But lately Ginepri has seen a changed Tiafoe, a 20-year-old who's maturing and assuming ownership of his career. Tiafoe describes the turning point as earlier this year, after what had been a poor start to his fourth professional season.
Watch Highlights: Tiafoe Wins His Maiden Title

He had played in four tournaments – two ATP World Tour events and two ATP Challenger Tour tournaments – and had gone 0-2 in tour-level contests. At the ASB Classic in Auckland, Tiafoe had fallen to Aussie Matthew Ebden, and at the Australian Open, Tiafoe had lost to childhood idol Juan Martin del Potro in three quick sets.
The American had even struggled at the Challenger level, winning only one match during the two tournaments. “I just couldn't really get anything going,” Tiafoe told ATPWorldTour.com.
The week before the New York Open, Tiafoe headed to Maryland, where he grew up the son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, and got to work.
“Really took ownership of myself, my tennis and I really just locked it in... Had a great week of practice. Hung out with friends. Did my own thing and did it the way I want to do it... and held myself really accountable,” Tiafoe said.
In New York, he reached his maiden ATP World Tour quarter-final, falling to eventual champion Kevin Anderson. In Delray Beach, Tiafoe gained revenge on Ebden and Del Potro before beating Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung, #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov and Peter Gojowczyk of Germany in the final.
“He's been doing a good job. He shows up to work with a smile on his face, gives you 120 per cent,” Ginepri said.
Watch Tiafoe's My Story

Tiafoe's work during the past 18 months, as long as he's trained with Ginepri, also pushed him to the best week of his career. In Delray Beach, his serve was better than ever, thanks in part to some tweaks he and Ginepri made.
Tiafoe used to have an erratic ball toss, so during practice they'd set a racquet or a trash can on the ground, and Tiafoe would practise 100 tosses at a time, trying to land the ball on the strings or in the basket every time.
Tiafoe also switched to a more abbreviated takeback, and his entire service motion relies more on his hips and less on his arm, a change that should protect his body as he ages.
“His takeback with his right arm was never the same, especially under pressure, it would get a bit off,” Ginepri said.
The results were easy to see in Delray Beach. The past 52 weeks, Tiafoe has won a little more than 72 per cent of his first-serve points and about 52 per cent of his second-serve points, according to the ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS, powered by Infosys NIA Data.
But in South Florida, Tiafoe lifted both numbers – winning 73.5 per cent of his first-serve points and more than 55 per cent of his second-serve points. Most impressively, Tiafoe erased almost 80 per cent of his break points (30/38), including 14 of 16 against Del Potro, then the World No. 10.
“He served his way out of trouble a lot... which I think was one of the big reasons he hoisted the trophy,” Ginepri said.
Watch Tiafoe Revisit His Roots In College Park

Tiafoe sits among a crowded group of #NextGenATP Americans – including Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka and Michael Mmoh – vying to qualify for the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, which will welcome eight of the best 21-and-under players in the world. The 20-year-old Tiafoe rose to second place in the ATP Race To Milan with his Delray Beach title.
See Who's Leading The ATP Race To Milan
He was the last of the #NextGenATP American bunch to make an ATP World Tour quarter-final but the first to win an ATP World Tour title. Yet, as the tennis world recently witnessed with Tiafoe, things can change quickly with 20-year-olds and teenagers, especially when a new leader distinguishes himself from the pack.
“All it takes is one,” said Craig Boynton, coach of Americans Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson. “I call it the rabbit. When the rabbit gets out in front. I saw it with Andre [Agassi] too, when Andre won a Slam they were like, 'Well, I'm just as good as him. Why can't I do it?'
“The rising tide lifts all boats... and I see those guys with a healthy competitiveness. They want to leap frog each other in the rankings, which is great. They all get along well, which is fun to see... As one does well, I suspect there will be a few more who do well.”

Indian Wells standouts Mayer and Bhambri continue success in Miami with opening wins
Less than a month ago, #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe found his big breakthrough, winning his maiden ATP World Tour title at the Delray Beach Open to become the youngest American to claim a trophy since a 19-year-old Andy Roddick did so in 2002. But his next time out, Tiafoe lost in straight sets against compatriot Ernesto Escobedo at Indian Wells. Would Tiafoe bounce back in Miami?
A tremendous 29-shot rally to save set point at 5-6 in the second set emphatically answered that question. Tiafoe buckled down when he needed to most, battling to defeat Argentine Nicolas Kicker 6-3, 7-6(4) at the Miami Open presented by Itau Thursday evening to advance to the second round at the tournament for the second consecutive year.
"Unbelievable tennis toward the end. It could have went either way and luckily it went my way," Tiafoe said. "I don't even know how long that rally was. That was an unbelievable rally."

When Kicker's final one-handed backhand sailed long, Tiafoe let out a scream that echoed through the Florida night, and he proceeded to whack the ball from his pocket into the stands in excitement — it was another great win in what has been the best year of the #NextGenATP star's young career thus far. Prior to the New York Open in February, Tiafoe had never made an ATP World Tour quarter-final. In fact, last season, the right-hander earned seven tour-level victories. Thursday evening's triumph was Tiafoe's eighth tour-level win of the year, and it's only March.
"I'm happy with the way I played tonight. Trying to build off that and keep going," Tiafoe said. "I'm playing great... good to get this and be able to play another match."
While the 20-year-old fell against eventual champion Roger Federer in the second round last year, he will look to go a step further against No. 21 seed Kyle Edmund, this year's Australian Open semi-finalist. It will be the pair's first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.
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Outside of the Delray Beach Open — at which he made the semi-finals — American Steve Johnson had been 1-6 in tour-level matches this season. After a tough first-round exit at Indian Wells, the 28-year-old played an ATP Challenger Tour event in Irving, Texas, where he won three matches to gain some momentum.
It appears to have paid off, as Johnson swept pass the Dominican Republic’s Victor Estrella Burgos 6-3, 6-3 to claim his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 victory of the season. Johnson will next face No. 18 seed Adrian Mannarino, against whom he owns a 2-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead.
Two players who did have success in the Coachella Valley appear to be carrying momentum over to the east coast. Leonardo Mayer, who advanced to the Round of 16 at Indian Wells and held a set and a break lead against eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro before bowing out, battled back to defeat home favourite Donald Young 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The Argentine will next face BNP Paribas Open semi-finalist Borna Coric, whom he has beaten in their two previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings.
Indian Yuki Bhambri, who won his first two Masters 1000 matches in California, earned his third victory at this level by defeating Sofia champion Mirza Basic 7-5, 6-3. That earns the qualifier a second-round battle against eighth seed Jack Sock.
Did You Know?
Tiafoe won seven tour-level matches in 2017. His victory against Kicker Thursday evening was his eighth tour-level triumph before the end of March in 2018.

No. 10 seed Berdych beats Nishioka
Playing in America has always been a recipe for success for Americans – and Frances Tiafoe is no exception.

#NextGen ATP Frances Tiafoe battled his way into the third round of the Miami Open presented by Itau with a tight three-set victory over World No. 26 Kyle Edmund, prevailing 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(1) in a thriller, converting on his sixth match point.

The win sends Tiafoe, into the third round at Crandon Park for the first time, having lost to Roger Federer in the second round in his tournament debut last season. The 20-year-old is currently on a seven-match winning streak in Florida, having claimed his maiden ATP World Tour title in Delray Beach in February. Additionally, the win marks his third Top 30 scalp in the past month (d. Hyeon Chung and Juan Martin del Potro) – prior to that, he had earned just one in his career (d. Zverev). All four Top 30 wins have come on home soil.


The match pitched two contrasting styles of play against each other on a sunny Saturday afternoon. With exceptional athleticism and a flare for impressive shotmaking under pressure, Tiafoe was able to outmanoeuvre the forehand onslaught of his British opponent, much to the delight of the American crowd. In what was a first-ever meeting between the two, the American struck 15 aces and won 58 per cent of return points on his opponent’s second serve.

Despite being broken while serving for the win at 5-4 in the final set, Edmund maintained his typically cool composure, eventually saving six match points before succumbing on the seventh, having fought back from 1/6 down in the final-set tiebreak. With one final ace, however, Tiafoe sealed the win after two hours, 26 minutes.

After the match, Tiafoe acknowledge the impact that the crowd had on his tennis and his ability to dig out the win despite being a break behind in the third set. "It was unbelievable. The crowd was packed... I just needed a reason to give, to leave it all out here and the crowd gave me a reason to that.



Watch Full Match Replays

"Delray taught me a lot," said Tiafoe on his newfound confidence. "I beat some quality players back-to-back-to-back, which I've never done. I've played so many matches in my career so far where I played unbelievable, came up just short. Now I'm feeling really comfortable when it gets tight. I actually embrace it, I want it."

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Next up for Tiafoe is No. 10 seed Tomas Berdych, who navigated past Yoshihito Nishioka with relative ease, winning 6-1, 6-4. Berdych was dominant on serve, never facing a break point and claiming 89 per cent of points on his first serve. Although Nishioka was able to save eight of 11 break points, he was unable rekindle the magic that saw him come from behind to win their previous FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup last year at the BNP Paribas Open.

No. 32 seed Karen Khachanov moved on to the third round after a straightforward defeat of Marius Copil, 7-5, 6-3. The 21-year-old, who earlier this season claimed his second ATP World Tour title in Marseille, overcame his big-serving opponent in just one hour, 15 minutes to register his 12th win of the season. He advances to play either Kevin Anderson or Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Winner will challenge sixth seed Anderson in fourth round

Tomas Berdych or Frances Tiafoe will need to play two matches on Tuesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau after their third-round clash was suspended due to heavy rain at 2:13 a.m. local time. Tiafoe is leading 10th seed and 2010 finalist Berdych 6-7(2), 6-2, 5-4.

Berdych got off to a 3-0 lead, but American Tiafoe recovered and at 4-4, 40/0, rain suspended play on Grandstand. A brief rain shower delayed play early in the third set, which resulted in service breaks in the third and fourth games. After two hours and 36 minutes of action, bad weather intervened once again.

Berdych or Tiafoe will resume their match on Grandstand mid-afternoon Tuesday, prior to contesting a fourth-round encounter against sixth-seeded South African Kevin Anderson from around 6 p.m. local time.


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Earlier in the day, Anderson, the top seed left in the top quarter of the draw, battled to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory against No. 32 Karen Khachanov. The South African will have a chance to reach his second consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Anderson has reached the final at three of his five events this season, winning the New York Open (def. Querrey) and finishing runner-up at Pune (l. to Simon) and Acapulco (l. to Del Potro). The 31-year-old is attempting to make the quarter-final in Miami for the second time, after losing at that stage in 2011 against Novak Djokovic. He is now 16-4 on the season.

The South African faced a stern test against the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier. But after getting broken in the opening set, he did not face a break point in the rest of the match.

Young American set to face Anderson from 6:00 p.m. local time
A little over 13 hours after leaving Grandstand under heavy rain at 2:13 a.m. local time, #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe finally completed his third-round victory over 2010 finalist Tomas Berdych at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
A crowd of 20 hardy souls watching Tuesday morning had seen Tiafoe lead 7-6(2), 2-6, 5-4, when play was suspended, and the 20-year-old returned mid-afternoon to compete with real intent. At 5-5, Tiafoe recovered from 0/30 and later won four of the first five points in the tie-break, which he clinched 7/1. The 17-minute installment ended the two-hour and 52-minute encounter – their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.
Tiafoe, currently No. 63 in the ATP Rankings, will now prepare to face sixth-seeded South African Kevin Anderson later on Tuesday at Crandon Park. Last month, Tiafoe captured his first ATP World Tour title at the Delray Beach Open (d. Gojowczyk) and he is riding an eight-match winning streak in Florida.
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Anderson or Tiafoe will face Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who reached his second Masters 1000 quarter-final (2017 Indian Wells) by beating countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-3 in 85 minutes. Carreno Busta saved six of seven break points and improved to 3-1 against his 34-year-old compatriot in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
Carreno Busta, No. 19 in the ATP Rankings, made it one round farther during his 2017 BNP Paribas Open, reaching the semi-finals before falling to Stan Wawrinka.