Frances Tiafoe fights back to topple Stefanos Tsitsipas at Vienna Open, Alexander Zverev beats Alex de Minaur

ByEurosport

Updated 28/10/2021 at 22:01 GMT

Stefanos Tsitsipas looked on course for victory when edging ahead in the final set, but Frances Tiafoe found another geat to win six of the last seven games to book his place in the quarter finals of the Vienna Open. He will face Diego Schwartzman next. Alexander Zverev beat Alex de Minaur to set up a clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Frances Tiafoe celebrates Vienna Open, Wiener Stadthalle, October 28, 2021

Image credit: Getty Images

Frances Tiafoe fought back from a break down in the final set to stun Stefanos Tsitsipas and reach the quarter finals of the Vienna Open.

Things looked to be going according to plan when number one seed Tsitsipas won the opening set.

Tiafoe showed excellent resolve to take the second, but looked cooked as Tsitsipas secured a break to lead 3-0 in the final set.

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However, the American found an extra gear from nowhere to win five games on the spin on the back of some sensational, attacking tennis.

Tsitsipas kept Tiafoe honest by stopping the rot and asking the American to serve out.

Tiafoe had no fear of Tsitsipas, having beaten him at Wimbledon earlier this year, and sent down some monster serves to wrap up a 3-6 6-3 6-4 win, and with it a meeting with Diego Schwartzman.

Tiafoe was revved up by the crowd in Vienna, thriving on the occasion of a full house.

"You've got fans going nuts early in the match," Tiafoe said. "I want to play. I want to be out there, I want to give it my all.

"You've got little kids screaming 'Big Foe' and that's what it's about. It's almost irrelevant who you're playing. Obviously I want to beat Stefanos and these guys, it's always good to have on the resumé. It's been great."

Alexander Zverev brought up his 300th career victory at ATP Tour level with a battling 6-2 3-6 6-2 win over Alex de Minaur.

“I started on the Tour when I was 16 years old and now being 24, I’m still quite young, so I’m quite happy to have this achievement at an early stage in my career,” Zverev told ATPTour.com. “Hopefully there are a lot more coming.”

The win sets up a last-eight meeting with Felix Auger-Aliassime who beat Britain’s Cameron Norrie in three sets.

Jannik Sinner eased into the quarter finals with a 6-4 6-2 win over Dennis Novak to set up a meeting with Casper Ruud following his three-set victory over Lorenzo Sonego.

A semi-final place in Vienna is at stake, but it also has implications for the ATP Finals.

Should Sinner beat Ruud, he would jump above Hubert Hurkacz into the final qualifying spot - and within 90 points of Ruud.

A win for Ruud would cement his position in the race to Turin.

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