Tommy Paul reacts to final-set tiebreak win over Frances Tiafoe in Houston

Tommy Paul books his spot in the Houston Open final with a dramatic win over Frances Tiafoe

Tommy Paul advanced to the first ATP Tour clay-court final of his career after overcoming Frances Tiafoe in a hard-fought Houston Open match.

The American earned a place in his second ATP final of the year by outlasting his compatriot 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 in just under three hours.

It was another strong showing from Paul, who has enjoyed an impressive start to 2026 following an injury-disrupted campaign last year.

Tommy Paul Proud Of Grit After Tiafoe Win

Speaking after the match, Paul said: “Oh man. I’m super proud of that. The whole tiebreaker I was like ‘don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.’”

“I felt like I did a good job of playing big when I needed to. That was an incredible match with Big Foe [pictured below].

For Tiafoe, it was the second consecutive match that had gone to a final-set tiebreak. The night prior, Tiafoe had defeated Australian player Alexei Popyrin 3-6, 6-4, 7-6; winning the final set tiebreak 8-6.

“He’s [Tiafoe] been always one of the most entertaining guys to watch. I’m so happy we got to play that match here today.

“It’s been a while since we had a battle like that. Pretty cool to do it here in front of you guys. First final here in Houston. I couldn’t be more excited. I had my first-ever tour-level win here. It’s obviously a very special place for me.

“I’m going to come out and do my best tomorrow. Hopefully, we can go home with the big trophy.”

Tommy Paul’s Next Opponent in Houston Open Title Match

Paul will take on Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga in the final.

Burruchaga, currently ranked 76th, has made his way to the final by beating Adam Walton, Brandon Nakashima, Learner Tien, and Thiago Agustin Tirante.

The pair have never met before on the ATP Tour. Fans can catch the Houston Open final between Paul and Burruchaga at 8:30 pm GMT or 4:30 pm ET for viewers in America.

This year’s run already marks an improvement for Paul over last year, when he reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Jenson Brooksby.

Read more: