Frances Tiafoe’s pursuit of returning to the semifinals at the US Open continued after he came through a difficult second-round test.
Tiafoe was pitted against his compatriot, Martin Damm Jr., who fired 27 aces against him, and forced a fourth set.
The US number four, who had earned a straight-sets victory in round one, ultimately emerged victorious to set up a third-round clash with Jan-Lennard Struff.
In his 11th appearance in the main draw at Flushing Meadows, Tiafoe is attempting to end the American drought at majors, as he bids to become the first from his country to hoist a men’s singles Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
His campaign so far has looked promising, and he does not appear to be struggling with an ‘issue’ that other stars have voiced their frustrations about at the tournament over the years.
Frances Tiafoe disagrees with other ATP stars at the US Open
In his post-match press conference after beating Damm Jr., Tiafoe was asked if he agrees with other players complaining about the tennis balls at the US Open.
He responded: “No, but seriously, in that department, it doesn’t really… I don’t really get why guys are so up in arms about it.
“You know, like, I feel that’s all a lot of guys are talking about. And it doesn’t really make sense. It’s the same for both guys.
“Obviously, you know, in certain situations, [some] balls [you] are going to like more than other weeks, and, you know, conditions permitted as well, [the] heat and things like that.
“But yeah, ultimately I’m just not a balls guy. So it doesn’t really bother me that much, honestly.”
Frances Tiafoe’s record against his US Open third-round opponent
Tiafoe has a winning record against his next opponent, Struff, leading him 2-1 at tour-level events.
Their first meeting came at the European Open in 2019, where the American came out on top in straight sets.
| Match | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2023 Stuttgart Open Final | Tiafoe |
| 2020 Roland Garros First Round | Struff |
| 2019 European Open Round of 16 | Tiafoe |
Struff picked his first and only victory over Tiafoe in their maiden Grand Slam clash at Roland Garros in 2020, besting him in a five-set thriller.
In their most recent bout at the Stuttgart Open in 2023, the German was a set to the good, before the now-world number 17 came back to seal the win.
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