Taylor Fritz fought back to defeat compatriot Frances Tiafoe at the US Open on Friday, becoming the first American man to reach a Grand Slam final in 15 years.
Fritz, the world number 12, won 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and will take on top-ranked Jannik Sinner for the title on Sunday.
“He overwhelmed me at the start and I was freaking out a little,” said 26-year-old Fritz after securing victory with a 16th ace.
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“I just told myself to stay in it, hold serve and apply scoreboard pressure. “I did all I could to stay in it. If I hadn’t have done that I’d regret it forever. In the final, I will come out and give it everything.” Australian Open champion Sinner earlier became the first Italian man to make the New York final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over Britain’s Jack Draper.
Andy Roddick was the last American to make a men’s singles final at the Slams at Wimbledon in 2009. He was also the last man from the country to capture a Slam title when he won the 2003 US Open.
Tiafoe went into Friday’s match trailing 6-1 in his head-to-head record against his compatriot.
However, he boasted the more impressive Grand Slam credentials, playing in his second US Open semi-final in his last three appearances.
Fritz was in unknown territory, having fallen at the quarter-final stage at the Slams on four occasions.
Tiafoe used that greater experience to hit back from 3-0 in the first set to clinch the opener.
Fritz, who had reached the semi-final by defeating fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev in the previous round, was unable to convert a set point in the 10th game of the second set.
He succeeded at the next time of asking to level the match before handing the initiative straight back when Tiafoe broke for 1-0 in the third and held the advantage to retake the lead.
In a match where there were few rallies and little real drama, Fritz levelled again in the 10th game of the fourth set when Tiafoe dumped a lazy drop shot into the net.
That suddenly drained the spirit from Tiafoe as Fritz raced to victory in a brutally one-sided decider in which his opponent managed just nine points
SINNER THROUGH IN BRUTAL SCENES
World number one Jannik Sinner on Friday became the first Italian man to reach the US Open final by defeating an ailing Jack Draper in straight sets.
Australian Open champion Sinner came through 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 and will face either Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe for the title on Sunday.
A clearly unwell Draper, the first British man in the semi-finals since Andy Murray won the title in 2012, wilted in the closing stages, having vomited on court earlier in the match.
“Jack and I know each other very well, we are great friends off court,” said Sinner, who unleashed 43 winners in the match where he also injured his wrist in a nasty fall.
“It was a very physical match. He’s so tough to beat so I’m excited to be in the final.”
In a gruelling three-hour match, Draper was eventually undone by 10 double faults and 43 unforced errors as well as his illness.
“In the final, it will be a very tough challenge whoever I play,” added Sinner of being guaranteed to face an American opponent.
“I’m happy to be in that position because if you are in the final on a Sunday it means you are doing an amazing job.”
World number 25 Draper arrived in his first Grand Slam semi-final having only been broken three times in five rounds and not having dropped a set.
However, Sinner started eating into that streak with a break for a 4-3 lead, quickly wiped out by the Briton.
Draper was broken again on the back of his sixth double fault in the 11th game before the Italian top seed served it out with a love game.
In a dramatic second set, Draper vomited at the side of the court before Sinner then fell chasing a Draper shot, hurting his left wrist as he attempted to break his fall.
Sinner won that point, but Draper held serve for 5-4.
Two trainers then appeared on court at the same to treat the two players’ ailments, although Sinner required a full medical timeout.
It was a brief scare, however, as the Italian raced through the tiebreak to secure a two-sets lead.
Draper looked physically spent and was reduced to walking pace as the third set and match slipped away from him.
Source Agencies
