Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the US Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Tiafoe, who grew up in Maryland, put on a performance just as strong, if not stronger, than the one he used to eliminate 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.
“Man, man, this is wild. This is crazy. Had the biggest win of my life 24 hours ago. … That’s huge growth. it’s tough to turn the page,” said Tiafoe, who is seeded 22nd at Flushing Meadows.
Frances Tiafoe has defeated Andrey Rublev to become the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006. https://t.co/lv9ZGEe1Cu
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 7, 2022
Frances Tiafoe has reached the U.S. Open semifinals, backing up a win over Rafael Nadal with a quarterfinal victory over Andrey Rublev. https://t.co/FkPrIaXXRJ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 7, 2022