US Open: Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will meet in an all-American semifinal in New York
Frances Tiafoe has reached the U.S. Open semifinals for the second time in three years when his quarterfinal opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, stopped playing because of an injury in the fourth set
NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz set up an all-American semifinal at the U.S. Open with victories Tuesday, guaranteeing the United States a man in the title match at the country's Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 18 years.
The 20th-seeded Tiafoe made it to the final four at Flushing Meadows for the second time in three years when his quarterfinal opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, stopped playing because of an injury in the fourth set. Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1 with midnight approaching when Dimitrov retired from the match, providing an anticlimactic ending to a contest that was not necessarily of the highest quality.
“It's not the way I want to get through,” Tiafoe said, “but obviously happy to get through. Another semifinal here. Incredible.”
Just one glimpse of the sort of uneven play from both: Dimitrov held three set points in the tiebreaker at 6-3. On the first, he double-faulted. On the second, he double-faulted again. On the third, Tiafoe double-faulted, handing over that set.
