Fritz overcomes Tiafoe in five sets, will face Sinner in US Open final
Taylor Fritz won an all-American matchup against Frances Tiafoe in five sets on Friday in the US Open semis. Jannik Sinner stands in Fritz’s way of the title.
Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic
Taylor Fritz will be the first American man to play in a Grand Slam singles final since Andy Roddick in 2009 at Wimbledon. Fritz earned that distinction by beating Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the US Open semi-finals on Friday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Tiafoe, of course, was bidding for the same thing. And for a while it looked like the world No. 20 would be the one to advance and make some history. He led by one set two love and two sets to one only to see Fritz storm back and prevail after three hours and 18 minutes.
Fritz will go up against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Sunday afternoon.
Although Fritz broke serve right away for a 2-0 lead, it was Tiafoe who mostly controlled the first set. Playing on his favorite court and with the crowd behind him even against a fellow American, the world No. 20 responded in a big way. He broke his compatriot twice in the first set and then served it out at 5-4.
Fritz hit back in the second. Through the first 11 games it was a set that featured zero service breaks, a whole host of holds at love, and only one break point–with Tiafoe serving at 4-5. At 5-6 he cracked, as Fritz struck for a crucial break to level the match at a set apiece.
The back-and-forth affair saw Tiafoe immediately bring momentum back on his side. The recent Cincinnati runner-up broke serve for a 2-0 lead in set three and that was all he would need. He did not face a break point the entire set while losing a total of five service points.
One break also decided the fourth, and this time it went to Fritz. Tiafoe appeared to be well on his way to holding for 5-5, but at 40-15 he tossed in back-to-back double-faults. The seed then shanked a forehand at deuce and dumped a drop-shot in the net to get broken and throw away the set.
Spanning the fourth and fifth sets, Fritz went on a streak of 10 consecutive points won. It propelled him to a 4-0 lead in the decider and it was a lead he would not relinquish. The world No 12 gave one of the breaks back with a double-fault, but Tiafoe had no gas left in the tank to make a real charge. Fritz won the next two games easily to get across the finish line.
“It’s tough,” admitted Tiafoe, who also lost in five sets in the 2022 semis, that time to Carlos Alcaraz. “It’s really, really tough — really, really tough to swallow. This one’s gonna hurt really, really bad.
I mean, I thought I was the better player for sure tonight. In the fourth, I don’t know, just had some in-and-out cramps. I just felt like my body just kind of shut down on me. Like, probably had a lot to do with nerves. I wasn’t tired at all. I have been feeling unbelievable physically. But also, I mean, it could be a testament to how many matches I’ve played in the short time and I haven’t played that many matches all year like that. Ultimately, yeah, I think nerves got the better of me tonight.
“Got to tip your hat to Taylor. He stayed with it, he competed, he deserved it tonight. All the best to him in the final.”
SINNER VS FRITZ IN THE FINAL
Sinner and Fritz will be facing each other for the third time in their careers on Sunday, with the head-to-head series standing at 1-1. Both of their previous meetings have come in Indian Wells. Fritz got the job done 6-4, 6-3 in 2021 before Sinner prevailed two years later via a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 decision.
“It’s the reason I do what I do, the reason why I work so hard,” said an unusually emotional Fritz. “I’m in the finals of the US Open. It’s a dream come true and I’m going to give it everything I possibly have. I know that for a fact.”
