Acapulco, Mexico. Tommy Paul defeated American and longtime rival Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(2) in a three-hour marathon match to secure a place in the final of the Mexican Open.
A couple of 25-year-olds reconciled in their teens. They first met each other – when Fritz was 13 and Paul was 14 – at the 2011 USTA Boys Under 14 National Championships in San Antonio, Texas.
It took Paul nearly 3.5 hours to beat third-seeded Fritz in the semi-finals to become the third American to reach the final in Acapulco. Fritz accomplished the feat in 2020 and Sam Querrey won the tournament in 2017.
Paul, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, is looking for his second career title after Stockholm in 2021.
He will face Alex de Minaur of Australia who defeated Halger Rune of Denmark 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
No. 8 seed De Minaur plays 3-0 against Paul and will play in his first final since Atlanta in 2022, when he won his sixth career title.
Paul survived his American Fritz and reached the final in Mexico originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Source: sports.yahoo.com
