Tiafoe converts sixth match point, survives late-night scare

Frances Tiafoe survived a late-night scare from Jiri Lehecka at the Cincinnati Open, where the American prevailed 6-4, 6-7(10), 7-6(5) after converting his sixth match point on Friday.

The home favourite let slip three match points in the second-set tie-break and then held a 5-2 lead in the final set. But Lehecka, who was competing this week for the first time since retiring in the Madrid semi-finals due to a back injury, won three consecutive games and eventually forced a deciding-set tie-break.

Tiafoe, who trailed by a mini-break at 2/4 in the third-set tie-break, let out a sigh of relief after clinching the match and wrote, 'Whatever it takes' on the camera lens. He advanced to the quarter-finals after two hours, 52 minutes.

The 26-year-old found an advantage in forehand-to-forehand rallies to remain the more consistent from the baseline. Tiafoe committed 34 unforced errors to Lehecka's 59, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The three-time tour-level titlist overcame the Czech's 24 aces and will next meet another big server, Hubert Hurkacz, in the last eight.

Lehecka, 22, was aiming to build upon his second-round upset against fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.

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