Taylor Fritz, the top seed and defending champion, reached the final of the ATP Delray Beach Open by edging out Marcos Giron in a close match that lasted one hour and 48 minutes, with a score of 7-6 (10/8), 6-2. He will play against his compatriot Tommy Paul, who breezed past Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 6-2 in the other semi-final.
Fritz, the world number nine, is aiming for his seventh ATP title and his sixth consecutive win in ATP finals. He has been in impressive form since winning his first title at Eastbourne in 2019, adding trophies at Indian Wells, Eastbourne, and Tokyo in 2022, and Delray Beach and Atlanta in 2023. He fired 10 aces past Giron, the world number 52, to improve his head-to-head record to 4-1 against him.
Paul, the world number 14, is on a seven-match winning streak, matching his best career run. He won his second ATP title last week at Dallas and has been rising steadily in the rankings. He dominated Tiafoe, the world number 15, in a one-sided match that lasted only 54 minutes. He leveled his head-to-head record with Fritz at 2-2 with a win in their most recent encounter at Acapulco last year.
The final will be an exciting clash between two of the best American players on the tour, who have known each other since their junior days. They have both shown great consistency and confidence in their games, and will be eager to claim the title at the hard-court ATP 250 event in Florida.
Comment: