At the US Open semifinals, Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe put on a high-caliber, high-energy show. No ball was out of reach, no angle was too daring. And no point was over when it looked like it could be. There were so many in one session. What?! How? Before the game concluded, Arthur Ashe Stadium spectators stood up, cheering and cheerfully dancing. And they remained up during a replay on the television screens.
Ultimately, Alcaraz received enough victories, and Tiafoe’s racket was to blame for a disproportionate number of errors. As a result, Alcaraz defeated Tiafoe on Friday night at Flushing Meadows, winning 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3. He entered his first Grand Slam final as a result, giving himself a chance to become No. 1 at the age of 19.
Carlos Alcaraz
The match was “extremely thrilling” because of unbelievable shot-making, gets extending points, and incredible shots… at ridiculous times, according to Tiafoe. Yes, I was becoming upset.
Alcaraz seemed to take charge after winning nine out of ten games in a row. And he had a chance to conclude the match when he had a match point in the fourth set. However, 26th-ranked Tiafoe saved it and soon began shouting. “I’m putting my heart on the line!” with some colorful language added for emphasis. Soon after that, Tiafoe was advancing to a US Open-record 8-0 in tiebreakers and forcing a fifth set.
Despite playing three five-setter matches in a row, including a quarterfinal victory that took five hours and fifteen minutes to complete and finished at 2:50 a.m. on Thursday. The latest conclusion in tournament history, Alcaraz showed no symptoms of exhaustion. He won four of the past five games because he improved when he needed to.
Nearly two hours after defeating Tiafoe, Alcaraz declared, “I feel terrific right now,” before adding, “I mean, a little bit fatigued.”
Carlos Alcaraz
With so much on the line, No. 3 Alcaraz will now face No. 7, Casper Ruud, in Sunday’s championship match. The winner will earn their first major championship and take over the top place in the standings the following week.
It’s wonderful to be able to fight for important causes, Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz and Tiafoe, who were both playing in their first major semifinal, put on a really entertaining show for the first several sets and a little over an hour. They repeated it at the conclusion of the fourth set and the start of the fifth.
A sellout audience of more than 23,000 people, including former first lady Michelle Obama, saw Tiafoe, a 24-year-old from Maryland who defeated 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, in the fourth round. Tiafoe constantly asked for bigger applause from the audience and frequently got it. It is hardly surprising that he was the first American guy to play in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows in 16 years.
During a rare opportunity for the losing player in a match to address the audience in an on-court interview. Tiafoe remarked, “I feel I let you guys down.” “This is painful. This one hurts so, so much.”
Alcaraz, a Spaniard, is well-known around the world and is highly regarded as a future sports star. Since Pete Sampras won the trophy at the age of 19 in 1990, he has advanced to the US Open final as the tournament’s youngest male finalist from any country.
After Alcaraz went up 2-0 in the fourth, the audience sang “Olé, Olé, Olé! Carlos!” in a soccer-like fashion.
People were supporting him also because they like seeing that player play, according to Tiafoe. “Naturally, I would have liked to win tonight, but I believe tennis prevailed. I believe the crowd received what they anticipated. I only wish I had received the “W.”
After that, Alcaraz addressed the crowd in both English and Spanish, thanking them for helping him battle for every point, and every ball. And patting his chest to emphasize that he was doing this for his family, for my team, for me, and for all of you.
There were many interesting chats and interactions between Tiafoe and Alcaraz. One occurred when Alcaraz turned down a break point and held in the third game of the second set. At the end of the game, Tiafoe jokingly climbed across the net to Alcaraz’s side to shake hands.
If this semifinal had concluded immediately, nobody could have been upset with the result. Overall, it would last for 4 hours and 19 minutes. They were equally competitive for extended periods of time. Even until 6-all in the first tiebreaker while wearing matching jerseys that were red on the front, white on the back, and burgundy on the side.
Alcaraz lost a chance to force a fifth set by missing with a backhand. Tiafoe easily converted the set point as Alcaraz double-failed after saving four by that time. As the crowd applauded, Alcaraz sat down on the sidelines and lowered his head. And hit his equipment bag with his racket.
He bounced back and broke to take the lead in the second set. Alcaraz was serving at 5-3 but had a breakpoint at this critical moment. With a crosscourt forehand winner, Alcaraz denied Tiafoe that chance and began a run in which he won 11 straight games and 19 of 22 overall to capture the set to go up 4-0 in the third.
Alcaraz frequently rips the ball with reckless abandon—and, in some strange way, with accuracy, too, aiming for the lines and hitting them. With strokes that caught the outer border of the white paint with no room to spare. He earned at least three points in the opening set.
After the first, Tiafoe approached Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former No. 1 who had won the 2003 French Open, for a brief moment. However, Alcaraz is not a baseliner who hangs back. He displayed his talent by winning points with acrobatic volleys, feathered drop shots, and precisely parabolic lobs. He has a diverse, all-court game.
Carlos Alcaraz:. Tiafoe was also outstanding and was having a blast the entire time, with the exception of the slump in the second and third sets and late in the fifth.
Tiafoe declared, “I’m coming back, and I’m going to win this thing one day.”
Read more About: Casper Ruud advances to the US Open final and is in contention for his first Grand Slam victory.
