Frances Tiafoe goes 0 for 10 on break points in 4th set, falls to Fabian Marozsan in AO decider

After surviving in five to win his opening round at the Australian Open, Frances Tiafoe came out on the wrong end Thursday at the hands of Fabian Marozsan.

Bowing out of a quarter of the draw that boasts fourth seed Taylor Fritz and No. 21 seed Ben Shelton, who both advanced earlier, this loss was one that got away from the Hyattsville, Md. native.

Leading by two sets to one, Tiafoe had his opponent under threat in the fourth set on numerous occasions as he looked to put down one final dagger. Marozsan, however, would escape all 10 break points he faced—including one at 3-3 that came after his strange decision to pull out a half tweener volley on a deuce point—and suddenly leveled the clash when Tiafoe dropped his serve.

Sensing a turning tide, the world No. 59 blew the contest wide open with a 5-0 lead—capping his day with eight of the final nine games to eliminate Tiafoe in three hours and 17 minutes. The American finished just three for 20 on his break points.

For the second straight year, Tiafoe came into Melbourne Park as the No. 17 seed and was sent packing in the second round. In 2024, he fell to Tomas Machac over four sets and has not advanced to the second week since making the quarterfinals six years ago.

Marozsan has come through consecutive deciders following his opening victory over Thiago Seyboth Wild that saw him advance 7-5 in the fifth. The Hungarian, seeking to reach the round of 16 on the major stage for the first time, awaits Lorenzo Sonego. The Italian held off 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.