Tiafoe Saves Matchpoint, Takes Stuttgart Over Struff, Will Crack Top 10

American star Frances Tiafoe collected his first career grass title saving a matchpoint to deny Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 7-6(7-1), 7-6(10-8) in the final in Stuttgart on Sunday.

The German veteran was on the brink of keeping the title in Germany with a match point at 7-6 in the final set breaker. Tiafoe, who was serving, laced a backhand winner down the line to stay alive. And then in a crazy match point on his serve he failed to put a sitter overhead away before coming up with a stretch volley winning to take the title.

“It’s my third title, my first on grass. I still can’t believe I won. I had to save a match point and now I’m in the Top 10. These are incredible emotions for someone like me and where I come from,” Tiafoe said.

Tiafoe tallied 13 aces, won 83% on first serve points, 72% on second serves and never broke serve in the match.

The 33-year-old Struff smacked 28 aces and never was broken in the loss.

“For the spectators, it was an unbelievable match that had everything you could wish for, except that maybe I would win,” Struff said. “I can’t reproach myself much. I left my heart on the court, unfortunately it was broken in the end.”

In three tour-level head-to-head meetings, Tiafoe is ahead of Struff 2-1.

Tiafoe captures his 3rd career title and second of year after Houston. Tiafoe now has titles on all three surfaces and the win puts him into the Top 10 for a first time.

Struff was seeking his 1st career title. He was just a surprise Monte Carlo finalist in April.