"True display of how bad American tennis is currently" - Tennis fans divided on Tommy Paul beating Taylor Fritz in longest-ever match in Acapulco

Tommy Paul has reached his maiden ATP 500 final at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, by beating World No. 5 Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2) in the semifinals.

The match was a thrilling encounter and lasted for three hours and 25 minutes, which is the longest in the history of the Mexican Open. It has surpassed last year's fixture between Grigor Dimitrov and Stefan Kozlov, which went on for three hours and 22 minutes.

Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz were tested physically throughout the match, and by the end both players were cramping. Tennis fans, however, had mixed reactions to the contest.

While many called it one of the best matches in recent times, some questioned the level of tennis being played while also criticizing Fritz.

As far as positive reactions go, one fan claimed that the match had a lot of plot twists and that both players showed that they were fighters.

"That match had it all. Plot twists. Match points saved. 3rd set comeback from a break down. Both players cramped. One threw up. Tommy Paul makes 2nd career final but both and Paul proved they were big time fighters," the fan's tweet read.

Another fan praised the match because of the numerous dramatic moments along with its length and the weather conditions in Acapulco.

"Rallies shots, the length, the weather, CRAMPS, vomit, nothing short of amazing this match, The drama of tennis @atptour @Taylor_Fritz97 congratulations for finishing; @TommyPau1 BIG Congratulations on the win my dude," the fan's tweet read.

One fan claimed that the match symbolized what tennis should be like all the time.

"This match was everything! Two absolute fighters, putting it all out there. What tennis should be like all the time, tbh," the fan's tweet read.

Here are some more positive reactions from tennis fans:

But a number of fans were also critical of the match and of Taylor Fritz for his inability to win it. One claimed that the match showed how bad American tennis was at the moment.

"Truly a display of how bad american tennis is currently," the fan's tweet read.

One fan called the match 'disgusting' and said that Fritz looked average during the week.

"Disgusting match. They were tired at the end but prior to that it was straight rubbish. Fritz looked very average all week. Hard to believe this guy is top 5," the fan's tweet read.

Another fan claimed that Taylor Fritz was not worthy of being in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings and that him being there was bad for tennis.

Here are some more negative reactions from fans:

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Tommy Paul will face Alex de Minaur in the final of the Mexican Open

Tommy Paul in action at the Australian Open

After beating Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul will take on eighth seed Alex de Minaur in the final of the Mexican Open on Saturday. De Minaur reached his third ATP 500 final by beating Holger Rune 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinals.

Paul and De Minaur will lock horns for the fourth time, with the latter leading 3-0 in the head-to-head. All of their previous meetings came last season, with their last encounter being in the quarterfinals of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne. De Minaur won that match 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Victory for Paul will see him win his second ATP singles title, while De Minaur will win his seventh if he comes out on top.