New York, Sep 4 (IANS): Frances Tiafoe secured his place in the semifinals of the US Open after a quarterfinal win against Grigor Dimitrov, who was forced to retire due to injury, with Tiafoe leading 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-1, here at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Bulgarian, who had been battling for supremacy throughout the match, began to struggle noticeably in the latter stages of the third set. During the eighth game, Dimitrov's movement became increasingly laboured, and he eventually called for the physio.
Despite his best efforts to continue, Dimitrov retired after three hours and four minutes of intense play.
"I didn’t want it to end this way, but I'm obviously happy to advance. It’s incredible to make it to another semi-final here," Tiafoe said after the match.
Despite the way the match concluded, Tiafoe was pleased with his performance, saying, "It was a really high-level match. I liked where I was in the third regardless."
Tiafoe was close to taking a two-sets-to-love lead when he reached 6-5 in the second set, only for Dimitrov to force a tie-break. In an anticlimactic turn, Dimitrov, who led 6-3 in the tie-break, double-faulted on back-to-back points. Tiafoe matched him with a double fault of his own, but the set was eventually levelled at one set apiece.
Tiafoe’s aggressive approach continued to pay dividends as he finished the match with 14 break chances, converting six. Both players exhibited their best tennis, with Dimitrov delivering stunning one-handed backhand flicks and passing shots, while Tiafoe’s deft touch and quick reactions at the net were on full display.
Looking ahead, Tiafoe is set to face countryman Taylor Fritz in what will be the first all-American men’s major semi-final since the 2005 US Open. Fritz, the 20th seed, leads their head-to-head record 6-1, though Tiafoe won their first encounter in Indian Wells back in 2016.
Tiafoe’s success at the US Open could see him surpass Fritz to become the American No. 1 in the ATP rankings, provided he goes on to win the title. Dimitrov, on the other hand, leaves New York with a season record of 37-14.
His retirement at Wimbledon earlier this year due to a groin injury had already marked a challenging season, and his departure from the US Open adds to the list of setbacks.
As Tiafoe progresses to the semi-finals, the stage is set for an exciting clash with Fritz, with the winner set to become the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.