Houston (AFP) – Qualifier Jenson Brooksby, ranked 507th in the world, upset second-seed Francis Tiafoe 6-4, 6-2 to win the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston on Sunday. Brooksby has pulled off upsets all week, saving match point in three matches after battling out of qualifying to beat top seed Tommy Paul in the semi-final.
But he was in control of the all-American final from the outset as he secured his first career ATP title in style. The 24-year-old broke Tiafoe’s first two service games to race out to a 4-0 lead, hitting a series of spectacular winners. Although he gave up that lead and was pegged back to 4-4, he broke again to secure the set, winning with a pickup volley as he fell to the floor.
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It was Tiafoe’s third straight final at the event, but the world number 17 was unable to claw his way back into the contest in the second set. A superb backhand passing shot from Brooksby allowed him to break for 4-2. Brooksby won eight of the last ten games and converted on five of six break points.
Brooksby’s promising career progress, which saw him reach a career high ranking of 33rd in 2022, was halted by a 13-month suspension for anti-doping violations, keeping him out of action until March 2024. He reached the third round at Indian Wells, allowing him to climb up from 937 in the rankings, and his victory in Texas will see him return to the top 200.
“Thank you to my team. All the way from qualifying, match point down,” Brooksby said during the trophy ceremony. “That’s pretty intense, so thanks for sticking with it, every match, every day here for me.”
© 2024 AFP
