Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the men’s singles semifinal of the US Open tennis championship on Friday in New York.
Seth Wenig/AP
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Seth Wenig/AP
NEW YORK — As Taylor Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, and Frances Tiafoe, a 26-year-old from Maryland, strode under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night in the first U.S. Open semifinal between two American men in 19 years, the crowd could be forgiven for not knowing who to root for.
There was a round of applause just before the start, a fitting opening to the show that was about to unfold. As the competition began, perhaps the change in dynamics made it difficult to choose between a pair of close friends who had known each other since they played in under-14 tournaments.
The final cheers were for Fritz, who broke through with a six-set streak against a slumping Tiafoe to win 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and reach his first Grand Slam final.
“That’s why I do what I do,” Fritz told fans, his voice breaking in a post-match interview. “That’s why I work so hard.”
Twelfth seed Fritz’s seventh win in eight meetings with 20th seed Tiafoe puts him in line to face top seed Jannik Sinner for the title on Sunday.
“He was dominating from the baseline so much… and I just tried to tell myself to keep going and fight,” said Fritz, who dropped two games in the fourth set. “I told myself that if I didn’t give it my all — just hang in there and see if his level could drop a little bit — I would regret it for a long time.”
He will be the first American male to reach a major final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009 — and the first in New York since Roddick lost to Federer here in 2006. If he can overcome Sinner, Fritz will become the first American male to win any Grand Slam title since Roddick won it 21 years ago at the US Open.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m in the final. So I’m going to go out there and give it my all,” Fritz said. “I can’t wait.”
From 4-all in the fourth set, he was in control. Tiafoe’s mind and legs betrayed him, as he cramped up, at least in part, due to what he said was the anxiety associated with thinking the finish line was near and he was on course to win the title.
Frances Tiafoe of the United States waves to fans after being defeated by Taylor Fritz in the men’s singles semi-final match of the US Open tennis tournament on Friday in New York.
Seth Wenig/AP
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Seth Wenig/AP
“I felt like my body was falling apart,” said Tiafoe, who fell to 7-14 in five games. “I was ahead of myself.”
After his double fault forced a break to make it 4-0 in the fifth set, more than three hours into the match, Tiafoe threw his racket. Fritz responded by double faulting to tie the next set, but broke right back up and the match was over in no time. They met at the net for a hug.
“Sometimes things don’t go as planned,” Tiafoe said.
Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy who was cleared of a doping case less than three weeks ago, cruised to a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2 win over No. 25 Jack Draper on Friday, with both players receiving simultaneous treatment from trainers during the hour-and-a-half second set.
“It was a very physical match, as we saw,” said Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January. “I just tried to stay mentally strong.”
He had his left wrist massaged after falling during a point he was trying to win; Draper needed medical attention after vomiting twice during a match with temperatures in the high 70s and humidity above 60%. During the break, a vacuum was used to clear the ground behind the sidelines, completing the cleaning job that Draper, a 22-year-old from England, attempted to do himself by wiping up his, um, mess with a towel.
There is no drama beyond the actual play in Tiafoe vs. Fritz.
“In the end,” Tiafoe said, “it was a great night to have two Americans fighting.”
The respective guest boxes seemed to reflect the contrasting personalities of the players. The excitable Tiafoe would mark a big moment by pumping his fist or grinding his teeth or waving his racket or nodding his head as he walked toward the sideline, and his entourage—which included coach David Witt, who has worked with Venus Williams for years, as well as Jessica Pegula, the American in Saturday’s US Open women’s final against Aryna Sabalenka—would stand up and make noise, point after point.
The group in the Fritz corner is more moderate in character and has a more selective way of celebrating.
To date, Fritz has never made it past the quarter-finals of one of his sport’s four most prestigious events, but that run has included victories over three men with a combined six Grand Slam runner-up finishes: Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini.
Fritz started well on Friday, serving at speeds up to 135 mph, before Tiafoe rallied and won five straight games. In the next game, Fritz was nearly flawless, winning 24 of 25 service points and hitting 8 of 8 at the net. Tiafoe quickly recovered, breaking to start the third set, which turned out to be enough for that set, as he never gave Fritz a break.
Tiafoe appeared to lose momentum after losing a particular 31-stroke point—the longest of the match, which he called “definitely a wild ride”—midway through the fourth, then losing the final game of that set by double-faulting twice and recording a drop shot.
“This hit really hurt,” said Tiafoe.
