On Sunday, the 2022 Japan Open final will feature an all-American duel between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
Denis Shapovalov and Fritz competed for a spot in the championship round. In the first set, Fritz secured an early break and went up 4-1. This ultimately proved to be more than enough for him to win the first set. In the second set, the American made a break to take a 3-2 lead, but Shapovalov instantly broke back to even the match. To win the set and force a deciding, Shapovalov prevailed in the tiebreak. The Canadian took an early break to lead 3-1, which put him in a comfortable position. Fritz, however, completely reversed the situation as he won five straight games to take the match 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3.
To advance to the semifinals, Frances Tiafoe won in straight sets over Yasutaka Uchiyama, Bernabe Zapata Miralles, and Miomir Kecmanovic. He had to defeat Kwon Soon-woo to advance to the championship. As he quickly jumped out to a 5-1 lead, Tiafoe twice broke his opponent’s serve and went on to win the opening set. Kwon was successful in obtaining the second set, and he did it by dispersing a bagel. Then Tiafoe went on a four-game winning streak to lead 5-2. He failed on his first effort to finish the match while serving for it, but he succeeded on his second attempt to win 6-2, 0-6, 6-4. After losing the first final in Estoril, he has now advanced to his second final of the year.
Tiafoe vs Fritz Match Details
Tournament: Japan Open
Date: October 9, 2022
Venue: Tokyo, Japan
Surface: Hard
Round: Final
Category: Men’s Singles
Prize Money: $1,953,285
Tiafoe vs Fritz Head-to-Head Record
Five previous battles between the two have taken place. In their previous meetings, Fritz and Tiafoe have won 4-1. At the 2022 Canadian Open, he defeated them once in three sets.
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Tiafoe vs Fritz Prediction
Although Fritz appears to have Tiafoe’s game down pat and is set to win his third championship of the year on Sunday, the two appear to be closely matched in many other areas.
Prediction: Fritz to win in 3
Tiafoe Last three performances
- Japan Open: Semifinal- b. Kwon 6-2, 0-6, 6-
- Japan Open: Quarterfinal- b. Kecmanovic 6-0, 6-4
- Japan Open: Second round- b. Zapata Miralles 6-1, 7-6(7)
Fritz Last three performances
- Japan Open: Semifinal- b. Shapovalov 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3
- Japan Open: Quarterfinal- b. Kyrgios (Walkover)
- Japan Open: Second round- b. Moriya 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Broadcast and Live Stream Details
- US – Tennis Channel
- UK – Tennis TV (live streaming)
- Australia – beIN Sports
- Canada – TSN
- India – Discovery/ Tennis TV
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