Two finals produced contrasting stories in Cincinnati, as one rising star secured a breakthrough and a familiar champion returned to the top.
Arthur Fils won his first ATP Masters 1000 title by defeating American Frances Tiafoe in the Cincinnati Open final. In the women’s championship match, Coco Gauff beat Jessica Pegula to become the Cincinnati champion for the second time.
As noted by Reuters
Arthur Fils wins the Cincinnati Open title
In the men’s final, Arthur Fils defeated Frances Tiafoe 6:3, 1:6, 6:0. The 21st-seeded Frenchman started the match confidently, securing an early break and taking a 3:0 lead in the opening set.
Fils consistently put his opponent under pressure in lengthy rallies, attacked Tiafoe’s second serve aggressively and forced the American into errors. At 5:3, he closed out the set without losing a point, firing three consecutive aces.
The situation changed in the second set. Tiafoe, who was playing in his second Cincinnati final, broke in the second game to move ahead 3:0, then claimed Fils’ serve again to level the match at one set apiece.
The deciding set was dominated entirely by the Frenchman. The 22-year-old Fils broke twice, quickly built a 4:0 lead and took advantage of a string of backhand errors from Tiafoe. He sealed the victory with a bagel set and lifted the Cincinnati Open trophy.
It was tough because I started very, very strongly, and then I lost my concentration a little in the second set.
– Arthur Fils
The opportunity to win a title like this means so much to me… It takes a lot of training, a lot of everything, a lot of sacrifices.
– Arthur Fils
Coco Gauff wins in Cincinnati for the second time
In the women’s final, Coco Gauff claimed a convincing 6:2, 6:4 victory over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula. It was Gauff’s second Cincinnati Open title and the 12th singles trophy of her career.
The 22-year-old American quickly seized the initiative in the first set, breaking her opponent’s serve twice to take a 5:0 lead. Pegula, who had knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek the day before, managed a break at 2:5 but could not recover from her early deficit.
Gauff again made the stronger start in the second set, moving ahead 3:0 after breaking in the second game and capitalizing on poor returns from the 32-year-old Pegula. Late in the match, Pegula cut the deficit to 4:5, but Gauff immediately responded with a break and finished the final with a love game.
The Cincinnati victory was an important result for Gauff ahead of the US Open, while Fils secured the biggest title of his career with his triumph.