The remarkable U.S. Open run of Hyattsville, Maryland native Frances Tiafoe ended in the semifinals Friday night. The 19-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz outlasted Tiafoe in a five-set thriller, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3.
Alcaraz will face Norwegian Casper Ruud Sunday in the finals. The two will vie for their first major title and the world’s No. 1 ranking.
Tiafoe had the crowd of Flushing Meadows behind him. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was in attendance. So was Tiafoe’s mother, Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal and former Wizards player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Tiafoe fed off that energy to take a 64-minute first set in a tiebreaker that remained on serve. The tide of the match changed in the second, as Alcaraz broke Tiafoe’s serve to tie the match at one set apiece.
Alcaraz took over the third set, breaking Tiafoe three times. He was near perfect with just one unforced error. Meanwhile, Tiafoe committed 12 unforced errors. He couldn’t handle Alcaraz’s serve, and his energy appeared zapped. Tiafoe went through the set flat, unable to give any resistance.
Alcaraz appeared fresh despite coming into Friday on the heels of back-to-back five-set matches into the wee morning hours. He carried over the momentum into the fourth and had match point up 5-4 in the set.
But, Tiafoe caught his second win. He fought off match point, broke Alcaraz twice, and ultimately forced a tiebreaker. Alcaraz couldn’t match Tiafoe’s surge. Ultimately, Tiafoe won the tiebreaker 7-5 to force a deciding fifth set. Tiafoe became the first men’s player to go a perfect 8-0 in tiebreakers at the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz dug deep in his third straight five-set match. He ultimately gained control of the final moments of the match. Burning through two of his eight love serves. Tiafoe’s struggle with his opponent’s serve continued. Tiafoe’s first serve dipped to 30% in the set and 47% in the match.
Alcaraz put away the match, claiming the final set six games to three. Alcaraz won 23 of his 26 service games. Meanwhile, he broke Tiafoe’s serve nine times.
Tiafoe had a remarkable run, reaching his first Grand Slam semifinals. He handed Rafael Nadal his first Grand Slam loss of the year. He captivated kids of the JTCC in College Park, Maryland, where he trained and lived with his father and twin brother.
Tiafoe came two wins away from being the first American male to win a major since Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open. Unfortunately, it was not to be. But in turn, the 24-year-old put the rest of the tennis world on notice that he had arrived.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz and Ruud have an opportunity to force their way ahead of the new generation of men’s tennis stars with no Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer.
