Frances Tiafoe has continued his inspired run of form, having now beaten Grigor Dimitrov, another top-ten opponent, to reach the US Open semi-finals.
Matching his best-ever run at this event, the American will now face Taylor Fritz, thus guaranteeing a hometown hero in the final.
Both are enjoying fine veins of form, which will make this a really interesting tactical battle, but the manner in which Frances Tiafoe has turned a terrible 2024 around could give him the edge.
After all, he knows what it’s like to have to dig himself out of the trenches. He’ll certainly have to be ready to scrap for everything on Friday, and fix one glaring issue that remains in his game.
Frances Tiafoe analyses his performance vs Grigor Dimitrov
His assessment of the match was brief, but hugely critical considering the relative ease with which he has cruised into the semi-finals of the US Open.
Matching his best-ever run at this and any other Grand Slam event, which he achieved back in 2022, he now faces a fellow American with a real chance at reaching the final.
And, he should feel far more rested considering the manner in which his match ended, midway through the fourth set with Dimitrov sadly retiring.
Despite that, Tiafoe couldn’t help but analyse his own performance noting: ‘I thought the level for two and half sets was really, really high. I thought my game plan was perfect. I let him in there a bit in the second but I thought I kept going and applied pressure really well.
‘The only thing is the serve again wasn’t where I wanted it to be. Really, really patchy. I gave him a lot of second-serve looks, so I have to do better on that front, but I have just got to do better on that front. I made him earn a lot of points which was great.’
Tiafoe also spoke about Roger Federer during this press conference, who had shown up to watch him in the crowd.
How can Frances Tiafoe beat Taylor Fritz at the US Open?
This promises to be an intriguing all-American match-up on Friday, but it is also one that will heavily favour Fritz.
After all, he leads the head-to-head 6-1, with that sole loss coming back in 2016.
The overwhelming favourite, as the US number one as well, the psychological advantages could be crucial for the 26-year-old.
However, what Tiafoe brings, and must amplify to compete, are intangibles.
He resonates with the crowd far more than his mild-mannered opponent, and if he can channel their energy and get them on his side, it could unsettle the first-time semi-finalist.
Serving well will be crucial, which is a worry after these aforementioned comments, as Fritz is unlikely to give his compatriot many looks at breaking.
So, Tiafoe is expected to have to dig deep and grind out whatever advantages he can, using his underdog status to his advantage.
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