Sept 3, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Taylor Fritz (USA) after beating Alexander Zverev (GER) on day 9 of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis match at USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Photos Two U.S. males will sq. off within the semifinals of the U.S. Open after No. 12 seed Taylor Fritz and No. 20 Frances Tiafoe received their quarterfinal matches on Tuesday in New York.
Consequently, a home-country participant will compete within the ultimate of the 12 months’s final main for the primary time since Andy Roddick was the runner-up in 2006. No U.S. participant has received a Grand Slam title since Roddick captured the 2003 U.S. Open championship.
Fritz punched his ticket to his first Grand Slam semifinal by toppling No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Tiafoe superior when No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria retired attributable to an obvious leg harm whereas trailing 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1.
Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, had superior to 4 Grand Slam quarterfinals since 2022 and by no means pushed into the following spherical earlier than Tuesday’s triumph in entrance of an American crowd that was behind him all the way in which.
“I really feel wonderful. I’ve had plenty of seems to be at quarterfinals over the previous couple of years, however at this time felt completely different,” Fritz mentioned within the on-court interview. “It felt prefer it was my time to take it a step additional, and it is solely becoming that I am doing it in entrance of this crowd.”
Zverev gave Fritz a tricky take a look at. The German had extra winners (52 to 42), fewer unforced errors (42 to 48) and extra aces (14 to 12). He additionally saved a whopping 11 of 13 break factors.
However Fritz overcame that by controlling the first- and fourth-set tiebreakers. The gamers held serve all through each units; Zverev saved triple set level within the twelfth sport of the primary set and went on to tie it 6-6.
Fritz fell behind 2-1 within the first-set tiebreaker earlier than rattling off six straight factors to win the set. After Zverev received the primary break level of the match late within the second set, Fritz took the third set, at the same time as Zverev saved one other 4 set factors within the ultimate sport.
Fritz sped out to a 4-1 lead within the fourth-set tiebreaker and by no means regarded again.
He mentioned in his on-court interview that he has valued turning into greater than only a participant with an enormous serve.
“I’ve labored on including a lot to my sport,” Fritz mentioned. “I really feel like my forehand and backhand have sort of all the time been there, however I am attempting to return to the web a little bit bit, attempting to combine in some drop pictures, simply attempting so as to add stuff to my sport so I can again up my serve in higher.”
Tiafoe, a 26-year-old Maryland native, made it to the semifinals in New York in 2022 and reached the quarterfinals final 12 months. He’s again within the ultimate 4 after saving three of the 4 break factors he confronted in opposition to Dimitrov whereas changing six of his 14 break possibilities.
“Clearly, it is not the way in which I need to get by means of. However clearly blissful to get by means of,” Tiafoe mentioned. “One other semifinal right here. Unbelievable. …
“It was a extremely, actually high-level match. … However clearly, I did not need it to finish like that.”
Tiafoe received 67 % of his second-serve factors whereas Dimitrov received simply 37 % of his second-serve factors.
Fritz and Tiafoe will compete within the first all-American U.S. Open semifinal since Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri in 2005.
Chatting with the gang, Tiafoe mentioned, “Finally, you guys get to see me once more, in opposition to one other American, so Friday goes to be one hell of a day.”
Dimitrov got here up quick in a bid to succeed in his fourth profession Grand Slam semifinal and second on the U.S. Open (2019).
–Area Stage Media