Paul Edges Tiafoe for 9th Career Final in Houston
By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, April 4, 2026
Photo credit: U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship
Taming the soggy Houton clay and feisty friend Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul solidified his status as a man for all surfaces.
A patient Paul drew one final error converting his fourth match point in edging Tiafoe 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) to battle into his ninth career final at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship today.
Paul pumped 14 aces against no double faults to top Tiafoe for the fourth time in five meetings in the all-American clash.
The fourth-seeded Paul is the fifth active American man to reach finals on grass, clay and hard courts. Paul joins Taylor Fritz, Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Korda and Tiafoe reaching finals on the three primary surfaces.
Delray Beach finalist Paul will play for his fifth career title tomorrow when he takes on Roman Andres Burruchaga in the Easter Sunday final.
In today’s all-Argentinean semifinal, Burruchaga served 64 percent and was a perfect 21 for 21 on first-serve points sweeping world No. 83 Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-1, 6-1.
The 24-year-old Burruchaga burst into his maiden ATP final in just 61 minutes. Burruchaga, who beat Brandon Nakashima and Learner Tien en route to his first final, rises to No. 61 in the ATP Live Rankings with this run to the final.
In a tense tiebreaker, Paul danced around his backhand and drilled a diagonal forehand winner for double match point at 6-4 in the tiebreaker.
Lashing a heavy serve down the T, Tiafoe erased the first match point then dodged the second match point when Paul ended an 18-shot rally missing a forehand down the line that would have ended it.
On match point No. 3, a jittery Paul flattened a forehand into net as Tiafoe leveled the breaker, 7-all.
The Paul one-handed slice backhand is a weapon, especially on natural surfaces, and he showed it in this tiebreaker. Breaking the rhythm of a crosscourt backhand rally, Paul carved a shorter slice backhand and Tiafoe, who scrambled just to get up to it, netted his replay to face a fourth match point at 8-7.
A 13-shot rally ended when Tiafoe sailed one final drive and the old friends embraced at net. Paul raised his 2026 record to 18-7, which is the most wins among American men, and returns to the Top 20 in the ATP Live Rankings after falling from the Top 20 in January.
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