Frances Tiafoe began his Mubadala Citi DC Open campaign with a close 7-6(5), 7-6(5) win against Aslan Karatsev on Tuesday. Kevin Durant was in attendance watching fellow Marylander with keen interest as he battled valiantly to advance to the next round.
Tiafoe has collected titles in Houston and Stuttgart this year. He amazed the home crowd with his flashy playmaking throughout the match and absorbed Karatsev’s firepower to advance at the ATP 500 event.
This is Tiafoe’s first time on court since playing at Wimbledon earlier in July. The 25-year-old managed to fend off a set point on serve at 5-4 in the second set to avoid going to a third set. In the tie-break, he won four consecutive points after falling behind 3-5.
“Unbelievable match tonight. It was so tight all the way through, he really made me earn it,” Tiafoe said. “I’m just happy to get through. He’s a tough player, he’s made the semis of a Grand Slam and he’s very, very dangerous. Very tough first round.”
Tiafoe has been following the NBA since he was a kid and has worn jerseys of his favorite players or teams during warmups before matches. With Durant sitting court-side, Tiafoe had some extra motivation to earn his place in the second round.
The two hugged each other on court after the match and Durant stood alongside Tiafoe while Rennae Stubbs interviewed them. She asked Durant how his tennis game was going.
“Mine is nonexistent,” Durant said, with a grin. “But there was a lot of energy in the building tonight. It was exciting, I’m glad he got the win.”
Durant who is also from Maryland was impressed and noted the impact Tiafoe has made on his local community. “He’s just bringing, first of all, that energy from this area,” Durant said. “He’s representing right, so we’re all proud of him.”
Additionally last year, the American made the US Open semi-finals and in June pushed to the Top 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The home crowd fully backed his hustle and played a big part in his win.
Tiafoe has always talked about his upbringing as a kid training at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland. It all cemented itself on Tuesday evening with the support of Durant.
“Think about it. I was a kid who had an opportunity and dreamed massively big. Shouldn’t be doing any of these things, honestly.” Tiafoe said.
“I have just worked really hard over the years. I think it comes from a great place. I’m super humble about it. I’m humble that they want to take the time out and come and watch me play.”
Stay tuned for more breaking tennis coverage and updates.
Featured Image courtesy of Mubadala Citi DC Open
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