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Frances Tiafoe took celebrations to the next level after his title triumph at the US Men's Clay Court Championship by jumping into the pool.
After a topsy-turvy spell on the hard surface, Tiafoe made an impressive start to the clay season in 2023, bagging the title in Houston. The American defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the summit clash over two nail-biting sets which were decided on a tie-break, prevailing 7-6(1), 7-6(6).
Having bagged the second title of his career, Tiafoe did not hold back on his celebrations as the flamboyant American jumped into a pool surrounded by fans on location. The victory also marked his first title of the year.
Meanwhile, reflecting on the final, Tiafoe observed that the clash with his Argentine opponent was "an absolute war."
"I don't know you [Etcheverry] that well, but I know you real well after today. It was an absolute war and an unbelievable final. I hope you guys [in the crowd] all enjoyed it, because that's what it's about," Tiafoe said in his on-court interview.
Tiafoe did not drop a single set on his way to the title, beating the likes of Jason Kubler and Gijs Brouwer effortlessly in straight sets. With his latest achievement, the 25-year-old will move to a new career-high ranking of World No. 11 on Monday.
Tiafoe's campaign in Houston lasted just two days after his opening-round fixture was delayed for three days due to continuous rain. The American was forced to play the first two rounds on the same day and he then repeated the feat the following day with a semifinal win over Brouwer hours before taking part in the final.
Despite the tight schedule, Tiafoe's perseverance, backed by the support of his home crowd, helped him claim the title at the ATP 250 event.
Frances Tiafoe withdraws from Monte-Carlo Masters
Following the late end to his campaign at the 2023 US Men's Clay Court Championships, Frances Tiafoe, who was scheduled to take on Jiri Lehecka in his opener at the Monte-Carlo Masters, withdrew from the season's first Masters 1000 event on clay.
Lehecka is now set to face off against lucky loser Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland. Tiafoe, meanwhile, is expected to be in action next at the ATP 500 Barcelona Open, where he will be joined by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Jannik Sinner, and others.
