Brilliant Jenson Brooksby stuns Frances Tiafoe to claim maiden ATP Title in Houston

Jenson Brooksby capped off a dream week by winning his first professional title at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships, defeating former champion Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-2. The world No. 507 made a stunning comeback to the Tour after an 18-month suspension, proving he’s ready to climb back to the top of the rankings.

The American had lost all three finals he played prior to the suspension, but at age 24, he finally lifted his first trophy on the clay courts of Houston. With this win, he’s expected to jump over 300 spots in the rankings and will be ranked world No. 172 on Monday.

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Brooksby blazes past Tiafoe with lightning start

The match began completely in Brooksby’s favour, as he quickly took control with solid service games and capitalised on Tiafoe’s early struggles on serve. The 23-year-old won 16 of the first 19 points in a match where Tiafoe never found his rhythm and made several unforced errors.

Brooksby was flawless on serve, didn’t drop a point, and converted two break points to go up 4-0 in less than 20 minutes.

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With two breaks down and facing a flawless Brooksby, it looked like everything was lost for Big Foe. But he managed to recover one break, taking advantage of second serves and using slices to keep Brooksby from dictating the points. That first break proved crucial, as it gave Tiafoe some momentum. He began mixing things up more than his opponent, approaching the net and using well-placed dropshots.

Tiafoe clawed back to level at 4-4 and appeared ready for an epic comeback when he had a break point to take the lead. However, just like he had throughout the tournament, Brooksby stepped up in the key moments and held firm. He needed just one break opportunity in the next game to close the set 6-4.

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Clinical Brooksby breaks away late to seal straight-set win

The second set started evenly, with Tiafoe looking positive despite narrowly dropping the first set. Things stayed close until 2-2, with the world No. 17 saving a break point early on. But then Brooksby hit a strong stretch to close out the match.

The former world No. 33 held strong on serve and capitalised on another break chance to go up 4-2. His consistency shone through late in the set, as he created a second break opportunity, which sealed the 6-4, 6-2 victory. Brooksby once again showed he has what it takes to rise in the rankings this season.

Brooksby finished with a 71% first-serve percentage, winning 63% of those points, while Tiafoe managed 51% first serves, winning 61% of them. After losing three finals between 2021 and 2022, Brooksby finally clinched his first ATP title. It’s a spectacular start to the clay swing, although his next tournaments are still uncertain due to a ranking that doesn’t yet allow for direct entries into bigger events.

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