Taylor Fritz defeats Frances Tiafoe, to play for US Open title
Taylor Fritz defeats Frances Tiafoe, to play for US Open title
NEW YORK -- In a highly anticipated match under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, both 26-year-olds from the U.S., squared off in the first US Open semifinal featuring two American men in 19 years. The crowd, filled with excitement and uncertainty over which player to support, cheered both close friends, who have competed together since their youth.
Ultimately, it was Fritz who emerged victorious after a hard-fought five-set battle, defeating Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The win marked Fritz’s first appearance in a Grand Slam final, where he will face No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
"It's the reason why I do what I do," an emotional Fritz said in his post-match interview. "It's the reason why I work so hard."
Fritz, seeded No. 12, secured his seventh win in eight career meetings against No. 20-seeded Tiafoe. He credited his victory to resilience, saying, "I just tried to tell myself to stay in it and fight... if I didn't give it absolutely everything I had, I was going to regret it for a long time."
Fritz’s performance makes him the first U.S. man to reach a major final since Andy Roddick in 2009. A win on Sunday would see Fritz become the first American man to claim a Grand Slam title since Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
"I'm in the final. So I'm going to come out and give everything I can possibly give," Fritz declared. "I can't wait."
Fritz now holds 17 Grand Slam match wins in 2024, the highest for an American man in a single year since Roddick’s 17 in 2003. His semifinal victory came after seizing control from 4-all in the fourth set as Tiafoe’s game faltered, particularly after a 31-stroke rally that seemed to sap Tiafoe’s energy. Multiple errors, including double faults, cost Tiafoe the match, and Fritz capitalized, closing out the contest with a dominant fifth set.
Tiafoe, who now holds the unfortunate record of 13 losses in five-set matches since his Grand Slam debut in 2015, couldn’t overcome Fritz's steady play despite early momentum in the first and third sets. In the end, the friends embraced at the net after Fritz secured his historic win.
NEW YORK -- In a highly anticipated match under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, both 26-year-olds from the U.S., squared off in the first US Open semifinal featuring two American men in 19 years. The crowd, filled with excitement and uncertainty over which player to support, cheered both close friends, who have competed together since their youth.
Ultimately, it was Fritz who emerged victorious after a hard-fought five-set battle, defeating Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The win marked Fritz’s first appearance in a Grand Slam final, where he will face No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
"It's the reason why I do what I do," an emotional Fritz said in his post-match interview. "It's the reason why I work so hard."
Fritz, seeded No. 12, secured his seventh win in eight career meetings against No. 20-seeded Tiafoe. He credited his victory to resilience, saying, "I just tried to tell myself to stay in it and fight... if I didn't give it absolutely everything I had, I was going to regret it for a long time."
Fritz’s performance makes him the first U.S. man to reach a major final since Andy Roddick in 2009. A win on Sunday would see Fritz become the first American man to claim a Grand Slam title since Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
"I'm in the final. So I'm going to come out and give everything I can possibly give," Fritz declared. "I can't wait."
Fritz now holds 17 Grand Slam match wins in 2024, the highest for an American man in a single year since Roddick’s 17 in 2003. His semifinal victory came after seizing control from 4-all in the fourth set as Tiafoe’s game faltered, particularly after a 31-stroke rally that seemed to sap Tiafoe’s energy. Multiple errors, including double faults, cost Tiafoe the match, and Fritz capitalized, closing out the contest with a dominant fifth set.
Tiafoe, who now holds the unfortunate record of 13 losses in five-set matches since his Grand Slam debut in 2015, couldn’t overcome Fritz's steady play despite early momentum in the first and third sets. In the end, the friends embraced at the net after Fritz secured his historic win.
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