Paul beats Tiafoe in rain-affected Houston semi
Tommy Paul outlasted Frances Tiafoe in a rain-affected semi-final at the US Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, teeing up a clash with Roman Andres Burruchaga.
WATCH the ATP Tour LIVE in Australia on beIN SPORTS | Subscribe here and take advantage of our 7-day FREE TRIAL
Paul will face Burruchaga in Monday's (AEST) showpiece match after earning a 7-5 4-6 7-6 (9-7) success in Texas, where heavy rain led to a 90-minute interruption during the second set.
Paul was a set up but a break down in the second when that stoppage occurred, and after the players returned to the court, Tiafoe secured a mammoth, four-deuce hold en route to levelling the match.
The final set was a chaotic affair as the players traded four breaks in the opening seven games, with a tie-break required to decide it.
The tie-break was also tight, with neither player ever leading by more than two points, but Paul took his fourth match-point opportunity when Tiafoe's groundstroke ran long, after two hours and 47 minutes of back-and-forth action.
Paul is into his ninth ATP Tour final, having gone 4-4 in his eight previous showpiece matches.
It is his second final of 2026, having finished as the runner-up to Sebastian Korda at Delray Beach, and his first on clay.
Having already reached finals on grass and hard courts, he is just the fifth active American player to reach ATP finals on all three surfaces.













