Frances Tiafoe looked in slight disbelief as he managed to fight from 5-2 down in the third set to progress to his first Masters level final.
Frances Tiafoe held up his arms and look skyward as a Holger Rune forehand sailed long.
It’s been an interesting few weeks for the American, after he controversially opted to skip the Paris Olympics in favour of getting a head start on the hard courts.
It’s certainly worked out for Tiafoe who will move into the top 20 of there ATP rankings come the end of the tournament.
Joy after a run to the semi-finals in Washington was quickly stifled after Tiafoe suffered a first round exit to Alejandro Tabilo in Montreal.
A week later however and Tiafoe is preparing to face Jannik Sinner in his maiden Masters 1000 final.
Frances Tiafoe hints at his ‘underdog’ status in the Cincinnati final
After saving two match points against Rune to finally edge over the line, Tiafoe soaked in the atmosphere, with the cheers ringing down for the home favorite.
Upon approaching the camera at the end of the match, Tiafoe wrote ‘Why not me’ on the lens, before continuing his celebrations.
The American shouldn’t really have won that match and if it wasn’t for some tightness from Rune and a bit of help from a few net-cords, he wouldn’t have done.
With Sinner a tall order in the final and Tiafoe having lost five of the eight finals he’s played in, the world number one predictably comes in the favorite.
Tiafoe’s ‘Why not me,’ might also be a reference to the upcoming US Open where, as an in-form players, he might well fancy his chances to make a dart for the title.
Frances Tiafoe’s ‘clown’ comments seems to still be overshadowing this glittering run in Cincinnati
While Tiafoe is intensely popular with Carlos Alcaraz, some of his previous comments about the rest of his tour mates have left a sour taste with the tennis world.
Ahead of Wimbledon the American acknowledged his poorer run of form since his time in the top 10, with Tiafoe explaining how he is now losing to people he dubs ‘clowns’.
While I think Tiafoe brings an exciting energy, a competitive spirit, and a dynamic game style to the court, he has since been labelled disrespectful.
Conveniently for Tiafoe, his vastly improved form sends a powerful message to the cynics with an injury-hampered Sinner not necessarily ready for the power of the American.
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