Frances Tiafoe followed up his upset of Rafael Nadal with a straight-sets US Open sweep of ninth seed Andrey Rublev on Wednesday, reaching a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time 7-6(3), 7-6(0), 6-4.
The rout took just over two and a half hours, with the American crowd favourite sending down his 18th ace on the first of three match points.
Tiafoe set up a Friday date with either Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz or Italian Yannik Sinner.
“This is wild, this is crazy, right after the biggest win of my life 24 hours ago,” Tiafoe said. “To back that up is huge.
“It was tough to turn the page, but now I’m in the semis.”
The No. 26 laid on 46 winners in a match with only one break of serve in the third set. Both competitors finished with 38 unforced errors.
“I feel so at home on this (Ashe stadium) court with the crowd behind me,” Tiafoe said. “They make me give my best.
“I’ve got two matches to go,”
Tiafoe (24 last January) was the youngest US man in the quarter-finals here since Andy Roddick, who turned 24 during the event when he advanced to the final in 2006.
The former great – last American to win the home title in 2003 – was in the stands watching the match.
Tiafoe was playing his second last-eight match at a major after Australia, 2019.
Rublev has now played in six Grand Slam quarter-finals without winning one.
Main photo:- US Open Day 10 Frances Tiafoe (USA) wins quarter final match by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
