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Frances Tiafoe received his thirteenth consecutive tie-break to clinch victory on Thursday in Tokyo, advancing to the quarter-finals for the primary time on the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships.
In a 6-1, 7-6(7) win towards Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Tiafoe closed out a high-level second set on his fifth match level. He’s by to his sixth ATP Tour quarter-final of the season.
“I believe dealing with these large moments, tie-breaks and stuff like that, [the key is] focussing on what you can concentrate on and simply enjoying to win, enjoying aggressive,” Tiafoe stated, additionally acknowledging the position of luck in his streak. “I’ve plenty of pictures within the ebook, so I am making an attempt to make the match on my phrases and have that perception.”
The fourth-seeded American has not misplaced a tie-break since Cincinnati, successful eight in his run to the US Open semi-finals and one other two on the Laver Cup, together with a trophy-clinching Match Tie-break for Workforce World.
Towards Zapata Miralles, Tiafoe raced to a 4-0 lead within the opening set after saving two break factors in his first service recreation. However the Spaniard raised his degree in set two, creating two possibilities for what may have been a double-break lead at 4-1. As a substitute, the American obtained again on serve to arrange an eventful near the pair’s first ATP Head2Head assembly.
Tiafoe couldn’t convert on two match factors with Zapata Miralles serving at 4-5, then saved a break level on his personal serve at 5-5.
An exciting tie-break included a luxurious drop volley from Tiafoe and a surprising on-the-run cross from Zapata Miralles because the rivals traded heavy blows within the Ariake Colosseum. With large serves at key moments, Tiafoe by no means gave his opponent a set level as he closed out the victory.
The American completed the match with 12 aces and a 78 per cent (28/36) win charge on first serve. He saved 5 of six break factors within the one-hour, 32-minute contest.
Tiafoe is now two wins away from matching the run of his coach, South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira, to the 1999 Tokyo ultimate.
“Wayne’s been pushing me to only maintain believing in myself and believing in my recreation,” stated Tiafoe, who was not conscious of his coach’s success in Japan. “Once I’m at my greatest, I can play with anybody. He is been actually pushing that message for me.”
Tiafoe, who beat Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama within the opening spherical, will subsequent face both eighth seed Daniel Evans or Miomir Kecmanovic.
Did You Know?
The final American to win the Tokyo males’s singles title was three-time champion Pete Sampras in 1996.
Photograph Credit score: Hiroshi Sato
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