NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz set up an all-American semifinal at the U.S. Open with victories Tuesday, guaranteeing the host country a men’s finalist in its Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2006.
The 20th-seeded Tiafoe made it to the final four at Flushing Meadows for the second time in three years when his quarterfinal opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, stopped playing because of an injury in the fourth set. Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 4-1 when Dimitrov retired from the match.
Hours earlier, Fritz watched one last errant forehand from his higher-ranked, more-accomplished opponent land wide, dropped his neon-colored racket, clenched both fists and screamed, “Come on!”
Fritz gathered himself and his equipment, walked to the net for a hug with No. 4 Alexander Zverev, who twice was a Grand Slam runner-up, then stepped to the center of Arthur Ashe Stadium, spread his arms wide and yelled again, “Come on!”
