Frances Tiafoe continued his triumphal march at the US Open in New York with impressive nerves of steel. For women, Aryna Sabalenka again reaches the semi-finals.
Frances Tiafoe enchants New York: The 24-year-old is the first local hero since Andy Roddick in 2006 to reach the semifinals of the US Open. The world number 26. prevailed in the quarter-finals on Wednesday with power and finesse 7: 6 (7: 3), 7: 6 (7: 0), 6: 4 against the Russian Andrei Rublev, whose quarter-final curse continues.
Journey for Nadal conqueror continues
It was the sixth attempt for the 24-year-old to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament – Rublew failed each time. He bravely countered Tiafoe, but in the tie-breaks of the first two sets, the crowd favorite shifted up a gear. In the third set Rublew could no longer counter. “It’s really wild, it’s crazy,” Tiafoe said. “Two days ago I got the biggest win of my career and now I’m in the semifinals.”
In the round of 16 he sensationally knocked out Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and, after reaching the semi-finals, is now facing a duel with Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz or Italian Jannik Sinner. He gives his fans a special rising story. As the son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, the athletic professional from a humble background fought his way onto the big stage. His father, Frances Tiafoe Sr., started out as a day laborer at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in the Washington DC area in the 1990s – his son trained there for hours every day, and he’s now making his debut on the Grand Slam stage.
Sabalenka again in the semifinals of the US Open
As in the previous year, Aryna Sabalenka is in the semifinals of the US Open for women. The 24-year-old from Belarus was not challenged enough by the Czech Karolina Pliskova, who was six years older, in the 6: 1, 7: 6 (7: 4) in 81 minutes of play.
Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka celebrates beating Czech Republic’s Karolina Pilskova at the US Open.
Pliskova presented himself immobile and prone to errors for a long time. “I just tried to make them work for the points”said Sabalenka: “It will be very difficult in the semifinals. But I’m ready for the next big fight.”
Pliskova with just one win in the first set
In the first set, Pliskova only managed one winning stroke with 15 avoidable errors, and her otherwise strong serve hardly worked either. Sabalenka, former number two in the world, kept his rhythm in the second round and didn’t let Pliskova’s stronger resistance upset him. In the second round she had to fend off two match points against the Estonian Kaia Kanepi, now Sabalenka still has every chance.
The powerful athlete started as one of the favorites in New York, but has not yet been able to Grand Slam-Reach the final. The next attempt to realize this, she will dare on Thursday against the world number one Iga Swiatek from Poland or the American Jessica Pegula.