Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they battle for the title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on Saturday night.
Tiafoe has won both of their previous encounters — 6-4, 6-2 at the 2024 Delray Beach tournament and 6-1, 6-4 at the 2025 Washington, D.C. ATP 500.
Both players took the scenic route to the championship match, which is nothing new in Acapulco — a tournament known for long, grueling matches in extreme humidity that go well into the night and even the morning. Tiafoe saved two match points against Aleksandar Kovacevic in the second round and came back from a set and a break down to beat Brandon Nakashima in the semis. Cobolli outlasted Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 after trailing 3-1 in the third set on Friday.
At the same time, each man has turned in some convincing performances. Tiafoe made relatively quick of Nuno Borges and Mattia Bellucci, while Cobolli’s week began with straight-set defeats of Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez, Dalibor Svrcina, and Yibing Wu.
Although the 28th-ranked American’s semifinal match ended considerably later, Cobolli was also forced to put in a big effort. It’s not like the Italian will have a massive physical advantage in the final. Overall, the Italian’s form remains unconvincing. Cobolli has turned his season around over the past two weeks, but he still has not defeated anyone ranked better than No. 66 in 2026.
Pick: Tiafoe in 3
WWW?
Tiafoe ganha fácil 💪
Tiafoe in 2
I like Coboli,if not ftw then to take a set at least
Tiafoe in 2, 6-4, 6-3.
Cobolli is gonna win. Trust.
Foe has not looked convincing either he should’ve lost twice just somehow keeps winning these matches
Cha Ching !
yep
Result: Cobolli 7-6(4), 6-4.
Congrats to a guy who usually does not do well on hard, produced some nice tennis in the final.
It’s a high bouncing hard, suits some players
Foe in 2!
ouch!