Fritz outduels Tiafoe for chance at US Open title
Written by I Dig SportsNEW YORK -- Taylor Fritz surged with a six-game run against a fading and frustrated Frances Tiafoe to come out on top 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in an all-American matchup at the US Open on Friday night to reach his first Grand Slam final.
The No. 12-seeded Fritz's momentum-shift-filled victory against No. 20 Tiafoe -- a pair of 26-year-olds who are close pals and have known each other since they were playing in tournaments for kids younger than 14 -- earned a showdown against No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the championship on Sunday.
Fritz will be the first U.S. man to appear in a major final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. And if he can get past Sinner, Fritz would become the first U.S. man to win a Slam trophy since Roddick got his 21 years ago at the US Open.
Fritz now has 17 major match wins in 2024, the most by an American man in a year since Roddick's 17 in 2003.
From 4-all in the fourth set Friday, Fritz seized control as Tiafoe's strokes and usual confidence betrayed him. After a double-fault handed over a break to make it 4-0 in the fifth, more than three hours into the proceedings, Tiafoe chucked his racket. Fritz repaid the favor by double-faulting to end the next game, but broke right back and soon it was over.
Fritz won 25 of the 34 points in the fifth set, including the final eight points of the match; Tiafoe didn't win a point on his second serve in the set (0-for-9).
It was Tiafoe's 13th loss in a five-setter since the start of 2015, when he made his Grand Slam debut. That's the most losses in five-setters at majors in that span.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.