Tiafoe and Fritz in the all-American final after a walkover win against Dimitrov
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SportsPulse, USA TODAY
Francis Tiafoe secured his place in his second semi-final at the US Open late Tuesday night after his opponent Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury.
Tiafoe, a semi-finalist in the last major of the 2022 season, will face fellow American Taylor Fritz on Friday.
It is the first time in nearly 20 years that two Americans have faced each other in the semifinals of the US Open.
Andy Roddick was the last American to win the US Open in 2003.
What happened to Dimitrov?
Grigor Dimitrov had just fought back and won the second set in a tiebreak when he seemed to lose control.
He was noticeably slower in the third set and left the court to see a trainer because of a groin problem after his opponent Francis Tiafoe won that set and took a 2-1 lead.
Dimitrov’s body language upon returning to the court suggested that his injury was not improving, and he was able to win only one of five games before approaching the net and dropping the match to Tiafoe.
This was just the latest mid-game retirement during this year’s two-week tournament.
What is a retirement in tennis?
A walkover or withdrawal occurs when a player automatically advances to the next round without playing. This can happen if the opponent is sick, injured, or has received a code of conduct penalty.
Francis Tiafoe’s quarter-final victory against Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday evening is considered a walkover victory.
The terms “walkover” and “forfeit” are often used synonymously to indicate that a game has ended prematurely.
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