TOKYO:
Frances Tiafoe battled past unseeded Kwon Soon-woo of South Korea on Saturday in three sets to reach the Japan Open final – but the American admitted it hadn't made pretty viewing.
The fourth-seeded Tiafoe won 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 and will play either Canada's Denis Shapovalov or his fellow American Taylor Fritz in Sunday's final in Tokyo.
No US player has won the men's Japan Open since Pete Sampras in 1996.
Tiafoe, the world number 19 who has been in the spotlight since stunning Rafael Nadal to reach the final four at the US Open, said that it "it was a weird match, but I'm happy to get through".
"I wasn't expecting him (Kwon) to play like that. He played really fast and really aggressive. He was playing really well, obviously, but a win's a win, and you take it," the 24-year-old said.
"It's not always going to be pretty, it's not always going to be the best stuff, but a win is what matters," he added.
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