Fritz and Paul to renew rivalry in all-American Delray Beach final

Defending champion Taylor Fritz moved one step from completing the first successful title defence at the Delray Beach champion since 1987, defeating Marcos Giron 7-6 (8), 6-2 at the Delray Beach Stadium and Tennis Center on Sunday night.

Fritz, ranked No 9, will play No 3 seed Tommy Paul in the fourth all-American final in tournament history on Sunday.

Paul stretched his winning streak to seven earlier on Saturday, racing past second-seeded Frances Tiafoe, 6-2, 6-2 in 61 minutes.

Fritz had more of a challenge from Giron, who was playing in his second semi-final in as many weeks. The former UCLA Bruin earned a set point in the opening set tiebreak, but couldn’t make the most of his opportunity. Eventually 26-year-old Fritz turned things around and converted his third set point to take a one set lead.

In the second set Fritz hit cruise control, rushing out to a double-break 4-1 lead, before Giron hit back to make it close again. But Fritz had too much game for the 30-year-old down the stretch – he broke for 5-2 then served out the match in the next game, converting his third match point to close the contest in one hour and 48 minutes.

“I was up in the first, I was playing well,” Fritz said after the win. “I missed some chances later on in the set but I felt like [Marcos] played all those points really well, so I didn’t let it bother me too much.

“He played a lot of good points, on a lot of big points, and it was really frustrating, but I always came back, especially in the tiebreak, and just kept playing well on the big points and I didn’t get frustrated.”

Fritz and Paul, episode 5

Paul and Fritz will lock horns for the fifth time at tour-level (tied 2-2). If Sunday’s final is anything like their last meeting, fans are in for a treat.

Paul defeated Fritz in a three hour and 26-minute epic 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(2) in the Acapulco semi-finals last year. It was a physical battle that left both players cramping at times.

“It’s never going to be easy against Fritz, he’s unreal,” Paul said after that classic contest. “He doesn’t give you any points throughout the whole match, you feel like you have to work for everything. Obviously he got up a break in the third there and it was weird, I started feeling my body a little bit and doing some weird serves, and I don’t know if he loved it. And then I think something happened with his stomach too. I think I got a little lucky there that we were both struggling, not just me.”

Fritz and Paul have been close since their junior days, and met in the final of two junior Grand Slams in 2015 (Paul won at Roland-Garros, Fritz won at the US Open).

“He’s gotten me a couple times, I’ve gotten him a couple times,” said Fritz. “It’s a pretty close head-to-head.”

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Earlier in the tournament, Taylor Fritz defeated Portuguese Nuno Borges (7-6 (5), 6-4) and Australian Rinky Hijikata (6-3, 6-3).

Giron, ranked No 52, beat wildcard Emilio Nava (6-4, 7-6 (5)), Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, the No 4 seed (6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-1) and wildcard Patrick Kypson (6-4, 6-4) in the previous rounds of the Delray Beach tournament.

Delray Beach ATP 250, other semi-final result (Delray Beach Stadium and Tennis Center, hard, USD 661.585):

• Tommy Paul beat Frances Tiafoe (2): 6-2, 6-2