US Open: Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz win and reach the All-American semifinals
Thanks to the combined efforts of Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz, an American will compete in the final of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2009.
Tiafoe and Fritz both performed well on Tuesday, with the former defeating No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov and the latter knocking off No. 4 Alexander Zverev. Their victories set up an All-American semifinal and will mark the first time since 2005 that two Americans will compete in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.
No American has participated in a Grand Slam final since Andy Roddick’s dramatic loss to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009.
Frances Tiafoe remains strong against Grigor Dimitrov
In the final match of the evening, aside from some sloppy tennis at the end of the second set, Tiafoe had a clear advantage over the experienced Dimitrov for most of the evening, winning 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1, with Dimitrov having to retire due to a thigh injury.
The big problem for Dimitrov was his weak second serve. He lost 37 of 59 points and made 11 double faults with a predictable serve that Tiafoe, a power player, took advantage of.
Dimitrov’s condition worsened as the match progressed. He asked for medical attention after the third set and eventually retired when Tiafoe was a break ahead in the fourth set.
For Tiafoe, it is the second time he has reached a Grand Slam semifinal after making it to the US Open in 2022. To reach the final, however, he will have to beat a good friend and former doubles partner.
Taylor Fritz managed to defeat Alexander Zverev
Fritz won the first set in a tiebreak, then recovered from a loss in the second set to win the second quarterfinal match of the day 7:6 (2), 3:6, 6:4, 7:6 (3).
Fritz’s victory over Zverev was hard fought from the start as neither player allowed a break in the first set. Fritz had a chance to win the set but Zverev fought back after three break points to level the set at 6:6. Fritz won the tiebreak, setting the stage for the surprise victory.
Zverev responded with the first break of the match, taking a 5-3 lead in the second set and then winning the set on serve. The players traded breaks in the third set before Fritz won the set on Zverev’s serve. As in the first set, Zverev fought back after a third set point and tied the decisive game. But Fritz won on his fifth set point to take a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth set, the players broke again, so it went to a tiebreak again. This time, Fritz won 7:3 and won the set and the game.
“I’ve watched quarterfinals over the last few years,” Fritz told ESPN after the game. “Today it just felt different. I really felt like it was time to take a step forward.”
Fritz is reaching a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in his career. He will face the winner of Tuesday’s prime-time match between No. 20 seed Tiafoe and No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria. If Tiafoe wins, an American will be guaranteed a place in the final. No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner is the favorite to advance from the other half of the group.
In the women’s singles, 13th seed Emma Navarro overcame a 5-1 deficit in the second set on Tuesday to win in straight sets against Spanish 26th seed Paula Badosa, also advancing to the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career.
Navarro will face the winner of Tuesday night’s match between No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen (China) and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) in the semifinals. No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula will face No. 1 seed and 2022 US Open champion Iga Świątek (Poland) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
