Reuters reuters: Tennis, ATP – Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC 2026: Tiafoe takes out Nakashima
— Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe advanced to the Acapulco final after grueling three-set semi-finals, each emerging from late, attritional matches that settled places in the 2026 Acapulco final. The two wins came in contrasting sessions: a long tactical first semi-final and a late-night all-American clash.
Cobolli edges Kecmanovic in epic
The first semi-final featured No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli and the unseeded Serb Miomir Kecmanovic. Cobolli, currently at a career-high world No. 20, relied on defensive resilience to prevail 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in a contest that lasted nearly two and a half hours. The match opened with a highly competitive opening set in which neither player ceded ground from the baseline; Cobolli recovered from an early mini-break to take the tiebreak and showed the same mental fortitude that had seen him save multiple break points in his previous round.
Kecmanovic’s giant-killing run
Kecmanovic arrived on the back of a “giant-killing” run that included an upset of top seed Alexander Zverev. He played with extreme aggression and roared back in the second set, breaking Cobolli twice to force a decider. In the final set Cobolli found a higher gear; reports from Latin American outlets highlight that Cobolli’s fitness was the difference maker. Cobolli broke Kecmanovic’s service three times in the third set and sealed the match with a powerful, precisely placed return that the Serb could not handle.
Cobolli’s milestone and ambitions
The victory marks Cobolli’s fourth ATP final. He will seek his third career title and his first at the ATP 500 level when he competes for the Acapulco crown.
Late-night all-American clash
The late-night session produced an all-American encounter as Frances Tiafoe staged a comeback to defeat Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. For Tiafoe the win is a milestone: it is his first final in Acapulco in eight attempts. Nakashima, the world No. 29, dominated the early proceedings with a methodical approach and clean ball-striking that left the No. 8 seed frustrated in a lopsided 6-3 opening set.
Tiafoe turns tide in the tiebreak
The second set developed into a classic tug-of-war and reached a high-pressure tiebreak. Nakashima was two points from the final, but Tiafoe saved a critical point at 5-6 in the tiebreak and then reeled off three straight points to snatch the set 8-6, shifting momentum wholly in his favor.
Big Foe’s experience closes it
In the deciding set the “Big Foe” experience was on display: Tiafoe sharpened his net play and increased his first-serve percentage to 72%, keeping Nakashima on the defensive. After securing a break midway through the final set, Tiafoe remained clinical on his own delivery and served out the match to the delight of the Mexican fans.
Across both semis, -level detail shows contrasting paths: Cobolli’s long, fitness-driven fight and Tiafoe’s late-night comeback set up a final featuring two players who survived three-set battles to reach the title match in Acapulco.
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Unclear in the provided context: whether any further schedule details, court conditions, exact dates of the semis or the final, or post-match quotes beyond the match descriptions were available.
