Top line
US tennis star Frances Tiafoe beat Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the US Open semifinals late Tuesday night, securing an all-American semifinal duel with Taylor Fritz. This marks the first time an American has appeared in a men’s Grand Slam final since 2009.
Frances Tiafoe reacts after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the men’s singles quarterfinals … (+)
Key data
Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-1 in the quarterfinals when Dimitrov was forced to retire due to a leg injury, allowing the American to take the win.
Tiafoe, seeded 20th, reacted with muted jubilation and said in his post-match interview that this was not the way he wanted to advance, “but of course I’m happy to be back in the semifinals here.”
Earlier in the evening, 12th seed Fritz pulled off a major upset in his quarterfinal match against 4th seed Alexander Zverev, defeating the German star 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.
Friday’s clash will be Fritz’s first appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal, while Tiafoe reached the semifinals of the 2022 US Open – where he lost to tournament winner Carlos Alcaraz.
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Key quote
In his post-match interview, Tiafoe described the semifinal as “the biggest game of Taylor’s and my life. We’ve known each other for so long. I’ve been playing against him for 14 years… to be able to play against him here… in one of the biggest games in the world is going to be amazing. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Important background
Friday’s clash will be the first all-American semifinal at a Grand Slam tournament since the 2005 US Open, where former world number one Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri. The all-American clash also guarantees that an American will compete in the men’s final of the US Open for the first time since 2006. The winner of the Tiafoe-Fritz clash will also be the first American tennis player to reach a Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2009. Andy Roddick faced Roger Federer in the 2006 US Open and the 2009 Wimbledon finals, and the Swiss tennis legend emerged victorious in both cases. Roddick’s 2003 US Open title is also the last Grand Slam title won by an American tennis player.
What you should pay attention to
The line-up for the second men’s semi-final has not yet been decided. Britain’s Jack Draper will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the third quarter-final match on Wednesday. The number one seed from Italy, Jannik Sinner, will face fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the fourth quarter-final.
More information
20 years of Grand Slam drought: Which American has come closest to winning a title since 2003? (The Athletic)
