Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe ensured, on Tuesday night local time, that there will be an American competing in the final of a men’s singles Grand Slam for the first time since 2009, when the duo booked their spots in the second semi-final of the US Open.
The draw in the men’s section had opened up with the early losses of defending champion Novak Djokovic and 2022 winner Carlos Alcaraz. Daniil Medvedev remains the only former US Open champion left in the draw, but he faces top seed Jannik Sinner in the quarter-final on Wednesday.
On Tuesday however, Fritz and Tiafoe ensured an American man will reach the final of a Major in singles for the first time since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon 2009.
Both players, however, had to work hard to get their respective wins.
Fritz, seeded 12th, beat fourth seed Alexander Zverev 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in a match that lasted three hours and 26 minutes to progress to the last four stage of a Slam for the first time.
Later in the evening at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Tiafoe progressed after Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov retired from the match after three hours and four minutes of play. Tiafoe, seeded 20, was leading 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-1 at the time.
This will be Tiafoe’s second semi-final appearance at a Major after he reached the last four at the 2022 US Open, losing to eventual champion Alcaraz.
In the other half of the men’s draw, Medvedev faces Sinner, while British player Jack Draper will take on Australia’s Alex de Minaur for a spot in the semi-final.
Sabalenka on course
In the women’s singles draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka is on course to reach back-to-back US Open finals.
She beat recently crowned Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng of China 6-1, 6-2 in a 73-minute match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to book her spot in the semi-final.
She takes on 13th seeded American Emma Navarro who took just a minute less to beat Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5.
In the other half of the women’s draw, top seed Iga Swiatek will play Jessica Pegula in the quarter-final, while Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia takes on Czech player Karolina Muchova for a spot in the semi-final.
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