LDN - Sports

Tiafoe, 20, earns first tour title in Delray Beach

[February 26, 2018] One week after reaching his first ATP World Tour quarterfinal, Frances Tiafoe made a far bigger leap forward.

The 20-year-old Maryland native captured his first Tour championship Sunday, crushing Germany's Peter Gojowczyk to win the Delray Beach (Fla.) Open.

"It's unbelievable. It's obviously a dream to win your first title," Tiafoe said. "Now I got that off my back, so that feels pretty good, so early in my career. It's an amazing feeling, and I just hope I can get many more as I go along."

The last American as young as Tiafoe to win a tour event was Andy Roddick, when he captured the Houston tournament in 2002 as a 19-year-old.

With the tournament title, Tiafoe will jump from No. 91 to No. 61 in the world. His highest ranking was No. 60 last July.

Tiafoe earned the $94,280 first-place check. A week ago, he made the quarterfinals of the New York Open in Uniondale, N.Y.

"If you asked me when I was younger if I was going to be here at 20 years old, winning a title, now being in a position to not only help myself but my family, it's an unbelievable place to be in, and I hope to just go only forward," Tiafoe said.

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Gojowczyk made $49,650 as the runner-up. The 28-year-old was appearing in his second tour final, having won the championship at Metz, France, last year.

"I was a little bit handicapped today... it was like a needle in the muscle," Gojowczyk said. "It was not my day today. But still, it was a good week for me, too. I reached my career high now, 51, with this tournament, so keep looking forward."

Tiafoe fired 13 aces to just two for Gojowczyk, though Tiafoe did double-fault seven times to Gojowczyk's once. Tiafoe dominated with his first serve, winning 89 percent of the points, and he saved four of the five break points he faced.

--Field Level Media

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