NEW YORK, Sep 10: Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe engaged in a high-level, high-energy spectacle of a back-and-forth semi-final at the US Open – no point over when it seemed to be, no ball out of reach, no angle too audacious.
One sequence was so stuffed with “What?! How?!” moments by both men that Arthur Ashe Stadium spectators were on their feet before it was over and remained there, clapping and carousing, while watching a replay on the video screens.
Ultimately, enough of the winners went Alcaraz’s way, and too many of the mistakes came from Tiafoe’s racket. And so, it was Alcaraz who surged into his first Grand Slam final – and, in the process, gave himself a chance to become No 1 at age 19 – by ending Tiafoe’s run at Flushing Meadows with a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory on Friday night.
“It was so electric. I mean, the tennis definitely matched the hype of the match. Unbelievable shot-making, gets, extending points, crazy shots … at crazy times,” Tiafoe said.
“Yeah, I was getting riled up.”
Alcaraz appeared to seize control by grabbing nine of 10 games in one stretch and could have ended the evening when he held a match point in the fourth set. But Tiafoe, who is ranked 26th, saved it and soon was yelling, with some colourful language mixed in for emphasis, “I’m putting my heart on the line!” Soon after that, Tiafoe was forcing a fifth set by improving to a US Open-record 8-0 in tiebreakers.
Still, Alcaraz showed no signs of fatigue despite playing a third five-setter in a row – including a 5-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal win that ended at 2:50 am on Thursday, the latest finish in tournament history – and was better when he needed to be, taking four of the last five games.
“I feel great right now,” Alcaraz said nearly two hours after beating Tiafoe, then added: “I mean, a little bit tired.” Now No 3 Alcaraz will face No 7 Casper Ruud for the championship Sunday with so much on the line: The winner will become a major champion for the first time and lead the rankings next week.
Alcaraz and Tiafoe were both making their major semi-final debuts and offered an exceptionally entertaining performance for a little more than a set, and a little more than an hour, at the start, then again for the latter portion of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth.
Tiafoe, a 24-year-old from Maryland who eliminated 22-time Grand Slam champ Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, played to a sell-out crowd of more than 23,000 that included former first lady Michelle Obama, often asking for – and receiving – more noise. No surprise, given he was the first American man in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows in 16 years.
Alcaraz, who’s from Spain, is popular around the world, widely recognized as a future star of the sport, and he is now the youngest US Open men’s finalist from any country since Pete Sampras won the trophy at 19 in 1990.
During the day’s first semi-final, which featured a 55-shot point to end the first set, folks called out the winner’s last name – “Ruuuuud!” – and it sounded as if they were booing, rather than saluting. Ruud won that lengthy rally and built an early lead and route to beating Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
“Towards the end,” Ruud, a 23-year-old from Norway, said about the longest point of this US Open, “the pulse was getting very high and the legs were almost shaking.”
Either Ruud, the runner-up to Nadal at the French Open in June, will make a six-place jump that represents the biggest move ever to No 1 or Alcaraz will become the youngest man to get to the ATP’s top spot since the computerized rankings began in 1973.
“I’m going to be back,” Tiafoe said, “and I will win this thing one day.” (AP)
