Tiafoe vs Nakashima: 7-5, 6-3 Into Cincy Final

Tiafoe vs Nakashima was straight sets and an American in the Cincinnati final. Frances Tiafoe beat Brandon Nakashima 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday night, the Cincinnati Enquirer live blog reported, and reached his second Cincinnati Open final in three years. He broke Nakashima in the ninth game of the second set to close it. Sunday he plays Arthur Fils, who beat Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Tiafoe saved a pair of set points in the first set, then ripped a 128 mph ace (his fifth of the night) to take it 7-5, the Enquirer wrote. Nakashima's first double fault of the night came on break point at 5-6. Tiafoe served it out. That is the same player who lost this final to Jannik Sinner in 2024. He has a second look at the Rookwood Cup.

Tiafoe vs Nakashima: 7-5, 6-3 on Center Court

The all-American semifinal on Center Court started with traded breaks. They were tied 3-3, then 4-4 after three holds each, the Enquirer had it. Tiafoe got the set on that 128 mph ace after saving set points on his previous service game. In the second, both held twice to 2-2. Tiafoe then broke for the fourth time in the match, held for 4-2, and broke again in the ninth game to finish 6-3.

It was Stadium Court at night after Fils had already booked the other finalist spot. The Enquirer noted both Americans were playing for the first U.S. man to win Cincinnati since 2006. Nakashima had just made the National Bank Open final. Tiafoe had just gone 7-6(2), 7-5 past Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals, a match Reuters clocked at more than two hours with four match points. This one was cleaner.

Reuters had Tiafoe 6-1 in the career series coming in. Nakashima arrived off a 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 win over Taylor Fritz, his fourth top-10 win of the season. Tiafoe did not need a third set. He served through the first-set trouble and kept breaking in the second. Pegula did the same thing on the women's side earlier: second Cincinnati final in three years, same afternoon and night in Mason.

Sunday final vs Arthur Fils, not a quarterfinal rerun

This page is the semifinal result. It is not a rewrite of Frances Tiafoe's Cincinnati quarterfinal over Musetti, and it is not Brandon Nakashima's Cincinnati quarterfinal over Fritz. Those matches got Tiafoe and Nakashima here. This one sent Tiafoe through.

Fils is in his first Masters 1000 final. The Enquirer had him serving six aces with an 82 percent first-serve win rate in 67 minutes against Cobolli. Tiafoe has the home crowd and the 2024 final on his record. Fils has the cleaner Saturday. One of them lifts the Rookwood Cup on Sunday.

Tiafoe vs Nakashima FAQ

What was the Tiafoe vs Nakashima Cincinnati score? Frances Tiafoe won 7-5, 6-3, per the Cincinnati Enquirer live blog. He broke in the ninth game of the second set to close the all-American semifinal.

How did Frances Tiafoe win the first set? He saved a pair of set points, then hit a 128 mph ace (his fifth) to take it 7-5 after Nakashima double-faulted on break point at 5-6, the Enquirer wrote.

Who does Frances Tiafoe play in the Cincinnati final? Arthur Fils, who beat Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4. It is Tiafoe's second Cincinnati final in three years. He lost the 2024 final to Jannik Sinner.