Frances Tiafoe seals statement Stuttgart Open win

Frances Tiafoe overcame a nearly 30-ace effort from Jan-Lennard Struff at the Stuttgart Open to lift the trophy following a 3-set battle 4-6 7-6(1) 7-6(8).

It's been a close and tight match between these two and it was largely expected. Being at home playing in front of native fans boosted Struff to a level where he could compete with Tiafoe who might be the player with the higher ceiling. You don't need to be dramatically better than your opponent to win on grass, you just need to win the most crucial rallies and that's how this match was played. A few rallies here and there decided the winner of a very good final.

Like last year when Berrettini and Murray played, we saw three sets. The opening set was won by Struff who didn't serve that well but was clinical when it mattered the most. He was aggressive when he got a break chance and converted it to take the lead and then hold his serve for the 6-4 finish. Struff was very strong on serve losing a handful of points despite not serving very well.

The second was played about as well as you can play a match by Tiafoe. He didn't allow a single break point cruising through his game pushing Struff a few times as well. Despite having set points late in the second set, Tiafoe failed to convert which sent us into the tiebreak. Tiafoe excelled in the tiebreak taking it 7-1 to the surprise of many.

The final set was just a masterclass from both players. Players barely won any points on return and we didn't see a single break point. In the tiebreak, we saw a good battle with both players having to save match points. Eventually, Tiafoe got it done 10-8 in the final set tiebreak.