Frances Tiafoe won his second career title and his first Open in more than five years with a 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (8-6) win over Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry in the final in rain-stricken Houston .
The top seeded American triumphed in an hour and 55 minutes, sending 12 aces and winning 81 percent on his first serve.
There were only three break points for the match, two of which were taken during an evenly matched battle in which the world No. 11 showed his class in clutch moments.
“It was an absolute war and an incredible finale,” said Tiafoe.
Tiafoe didn’t lose a set at the clay-court Houston Open, where his four-match run in two days ended after persistent rain dogged the tournament.
The 25-year-old American has been on the rise on the ATP Tour in recent years and was a semi-finalist at the US Open last year.
The previous Sunday it had taken Tiafoe just 59 minutes to send Gijs Brouwer of the Netherlands through to the final in straight sets.
The Dutchman failed to force a single break point as Tiafoe clinched a 6-4, 6-1 win before Etcheverry defeated Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
Tiafoe and Etcheverry had also played back-to-back games on Saturday due to poor Texas weather, former American compatriot Steve Johnson and Australian Jason Kubler, while the Argentine defeated another Australian, Max Purcell, and Chilean Cristian Garin.
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