What's happened
Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will face off in an all-American semifinal at the US Open, marking the first time since 2006 that a U.S. player will reach the men's final. Tiafoe advanced after Grigor Dimitrov retired due to injury, while Fritz defeated Alexander Zverev.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Al Jazeera, Frances Tiafoe's victory came after Grigor Dimitrov retired due to injury, with Tiafoe stating, "It’s not the way I wanted to win... but it’s going to be great" when facing Fritz. The Independent highlighted the significance of this matchup, noting it guarantees a U.S. finalist for the first time in nearly two decades. The Guardian emphasized Tiafoe's strong performance and the crowd's support, stating, "Let the best man win come Friday." South China Morning Post noted Fritz's emotional victory over Zverev, marking a significant milestone in his career.
How we got here
This year's US Open has seen significant upsets, including the early exits of top players like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. Tiafoe and Fritz have capitalized on this opportunity, both reaching the semifinals for the first time in their careers.
More on these topics
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Grigor Dimitrov is a Bulgarian professional tennis player. His career-high ATP singles ranking is world No. 3, which he achieved in November 2017 after winning the ATP Finals.
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Taylor Harry Fritz is an American professional tennis player. He reached an ATP final in his third career event, the 2016 Memphis Open. Only one other American has reached an ATP final in fewer career events.
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Frances Tiafoe is an American professional tennis player. He has been ranked by the Association of Tennis Professionals as high as No. 29 in the world. Tiafoe won his first ATP title at the 2018 Delray Beach Open.
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Andrew Stephen Roddick is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. He gained the top ranking shortly after winning the 2003 US Open, his only major triumph.
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Alexander "Sascha" Zverev is a German professional tennis player. He is the second-youngest player ranked in the top 10 by the Association of Tennis Professionals, and was a permanent fixture in the top 5 throughout 2018.