Frances Tiafoe is officially back in the hard court finals. In a grueling semi-final at Telecom Mexico, Tiafoe showed defiance to beat compatriot Brandon Nakajima 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 to improve his head-to-head record to 6-1 and reach the 11th ATP final of his career.
The victory marked Tiafoe’s first hard-court final appearance since finishing runner-up in Cincinnati in August 2024.
The road to Saturday will be anything but smooth. The American, who was on the verge of elimination just days ago, saved two match points against Alexander Kovacevic in the round of 16 to keep his tournament hopes alive.
The semifinal game against Nakajima followed a similar script. After losing the first set, Tiafoe found himself facing defeat, with Nakajima serving for a 6-3, 6-5 lead. Tiafoe’s momentum was impressive, and her counterattack forced the match into a tiebreaker and ultimately the decider.
Looking back on this comeback, Tiafoe noted that when he was down, it felt like the stars aligned completely and things started to make sense, with the help of a few wires helping him flip the script on Nakajima late in the second. He admitted he wasn’t feeling great but was focused on competing and fighting, admitting that sometimes you get lucky before playing great tennis in the third set.
“The stars are absolutely aligned,” Tiafoe said. “When I was down, things started to make sense, there were a few net strings. I was 5-6 every time I returned the ball [in the second set]. Obviously it doesn’t feel the best, but just competing and fighting – sometimes you get lucky. It was some great tennis in the third game.
“Never say die. I’m ready to empty the tank and see what happens.”
In the final set, Tiafoe once took a double-break lead, but Nakajima refused to go quietly. The American youngster broke serve at 3-5 and held the score at 4-5, forcing Tiafoe to serve under tremendous pressure.
Standing between Tiafoe and the trophy was Italy’s Flavio Coboli, who also showed Tiafoe’s mettle in his own semi-final. Facing Miomir Kekmanovic, Coboli won the opening set but found himself trailing 3-1 in the decider to the seemingly indefatigable Kekmanovic, who earned his first career top-five win earlier in the week by defeating No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev.
The Italian fought back to win in three sets and reach the final for the first time on Mexican soil.
“We played an unbelievable game,” Coboly said. “I’m happy to reach the finals in Mexico for the first time. I think we all played a great game. I was a little lucky in the end because sometimes you need luck in crucial moments. I’m really proud of myself because it’s not easy to come back.”
With both finalists surviving huge scares this week, Saturday’s showdown was destined to be a battle between two of the tour’s staunchest rivals.
The two teams met and Tiafoe led 2-0
