Tiafoe and Fritz set up all-American final at Japan Open

Posted October 08, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Taylor Fritz of the U.S. reacts as he defeated Denis Shapovalov of Canada in their semifinal match in the Japan Open tennis championships in Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) - Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz set up an all-American final at the Japan Open after winning three-set semifinals on Saturday.

Tiafoe finally dropped a set in the tournament before beating Kwon Soon-woo of South Korea 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 to reach his second final of the season.

'œIt was a weird match, but I'm happy to get through,'ť said Tiafoe, who will play his fifth final overall. 'œIt's not always going to be pretty, it's not always going to be the best stuff, but a win is what matters.'ť

Fritz, who spent a week in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 in Seoul last week, fought back Friday in the decisive set after trailing 3-1 to beat Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

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Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. returns a shot against Kwon Soon-woo of South Korea during their semifinal match in the Japan Open tennis championships in Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) The Associated Press

Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. reacts after gaining a point against Kwon Soon-woo of South Korea during their semifinal match in the Japan Open tennis championships in Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) The Associated Press

Taylor Fritz of the U.S. returns a shot against Denis Shapovalov of Canada during their semifinal match in the Japan Open tennis championships in Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) The Associated Press

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