Reuters: Cobolli and Tiafoe reach Acapulco final after three-set semis
Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe came through gritty three-set semifinals to secure places in the 2026 Acapulco final at the ATP 500 event, setting up a championship match between the No. 5 seed and the No. 8 seed.
: Cobolli and Tiafoe set up Acapulco final
Both semifinals went the distance. Cobolli beat Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted nearly two and a half hours, and Tiafoe recovered from a set down to defeat Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a late-night session that produced the final pairing for the 2026 Acapulco ATP 500.
Cobolli grinds past Kecmanovic in No. 5 seed semi
Flavio Cobolli, the No. 5 seed who sits at a career-high world No. 20, relied on defensive resilience to get past the unseeded Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, closing out the scoreline 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. The Italian recovered from an early mini-break to win the first-set tiebreak, and Kecmanovic — fresh off a “giant-killing” run that included an upset of top seed Alexander Zverev — rallied to break twice in the second set.
In the decider Cobolli’s fitness and aggression showed: he broke Kecmanovic’s serve three times and sealed the match with a powerful, precisely placed return. The victory sends Cobolli into his fourth ATP final, where he will seek his third career title and his first at the ATP 500 level; Cobolli had also saved multiple break points in his previous round.
Tiafoe rallies past Nakashima to reach first Acapulco final
Frances Tiafoe, seeded No. 8, staged a comeback to beat Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, reaching his first final in Acapulco in eight attempts. Nakashima, the world No. 29, dominated the opening set 6-3 with clean ball-striking, but the second set became a high-pressure tiebreak where Nakashima was two points from the title match.
Tiafoe saved a critical point at 5-6 in the tiebreak and then reeled off three straight points to take the set 8-6. In the deciding set Tiafoe sharpened his net play and raised his first-serve percentage to 72%, secured a break midway through the set and served out the match to the delight of the Mexican fans.
Match details and momentum shifts
The night featured several clear turning points: Cobolli’s recovery in the first-set tiebreak and three service breaks in the third set were decisive in a 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 win that lasted nearly two and a half hours, while Tiafoe’s escape in the second-set tiebreak — an 8-6 tiebreak where he saved a point at 5-6 — swung the momentum in the 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory. For the record, -style scorelines list the semifinals as 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 and 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
What happens next
Cobolli and Tiafoe will meet in the Acapulco final for the 2026 ATP 500 title. The matchup pairs the tournament’s No. 5 seed, Flavio Cobolli, who will chase his first ATP 500 crown and third career title in his fourth final, with Frances Tiafoe, the No. 8 seed making his first Acapulco final in eight attempts. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment for robots Please empty this comment field to prove you're human.
