Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe have reached the semifinals at the US Open. This means that for the first time since 2006, an American will be playing in the final of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.
04.09.2024, 20:2404.09.2024, 22:36
Fritz again too strong for Zverev
For Alexander Zverev, the dream of winning his first Grand Slam tournament remains unfulfilled. The Olympic champion from Tokyo was defeated in the quarterfinals at the US Open by Taylor Fritz (ATP 12). The German, seeded number 4, lost to the American, who was more active and willing to take risks for long stretches of the match, after a tough battle 6:7 (2:7), 6:3, 4:6, 6:7 (3:7). Three months ago, the two had already duelled in the round of 16 at Wimbledon for three and a half hours and even then Fritz had prevailed – albeit in five sets. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, the 26-year-old Californian has now made it to a major semifinal for the first time.
Taylor Fritz is happy about his victory.Image: keystone
Ultimately, Fritz was the deserved winner. A big plus was his strong service. When the first serve came, the American won the point 81 percent of the time. Fritz was only inefficient when it came to break chances: he was only able to use two of his 13 opportunities.
Tiafoe benefits from Dimitrov’s resignation
In the semifinals, Fritz will face fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe. The number 20 in the ATP rankings benefited from the injury-related retirement of Grigor Dimitrov (ATP 9). The Bulgarian had to be treated at the end of the third set after a slip on his groin and gave up shortly afterwards with the score at 6:3, 6:7 (7:5), 6:3, 4:1 for Tiafoe. The former world number 3 thus missed out on reaching the last four in New York for the second time after 2019. Back then, Dimitrov had defeated Roger Federer in five sets to reach his third and final Grand Slam semifinal.
Grigor Dimitrov (r.) congratulates his opponent Frances Tiafoe (l.).Image: keystone
Tiafoe, meanwhile, is in the semifinals of a major tournament for the second time (after the 2022 US Open). He or Fritz will follow Andy Roddick, who was the last American to serve in the final at Flushing Meadows in 2006. Three years later, Roddick was in another Grand Slam final at Wimbledon (and lost it dramatically in the 30th service game of the fifth set against Federer).
A 22-year-old surprises everyone
Briton Jack Draper has continued his strong run at the US Open and is surprisingly in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time. The 22-year-old also won comfortably against the number ten seeded Australian Alex de Minaur in New York 6:3, 7:5, 6:2. This means that Draper has not dropped a set in the entire tournament. “It’s great. Playing on the biggest court in the world for the first time is a dream for me,” said Draper in Arthur Ashe Stadium and was modest: “I played a solid match.” His best Grand Slam result to date was last year when he reached the round of 16 at the US Open. The world number 25 now challenges the top seeded Jannik Sinner from Italy or the former US Open winner Daniil Medvedev from Russia.
Jack Draper caused a surprise.Image: keystone
Sabalenka at express train speed
In the women’s quarterfinals, the final match from the 2024 Australian Open was repeated. Aryna Sabalenka once again prevailed against China’s Zheng Qinwen. The world number two from Belarus easily beat the Olympic champion from Paris 6:1, 6:2. This means that Sabalenka is in the semifinals in New York for the fourth year in a row. She is the first woman since Serena Williams (six times in a row since 2011) to achieve this. In ten major quarterfinals, Sabalenka has only left the court as a loser once. Last year, she only had to admit defeat to local Coco Gauff in the final at the US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka kept the upper hand.Image: fxp-fr-sda-rtp
Muchova again in the semifinals
Karolina Muchova (WTA 52) is in the semifinals of the US Open, just like last year. The 28-year-old Czech beat the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 6:1, 6:4 in the quarterfinals. Muchova remained undefeated in her fifth duel in New York and was the third player to reach the semifinals. Last year she was defeated there by the eventual winner Coco Gauff. And it won’t be easy this year either: Muchova, who missed most of the season after a wrist operation, will face either the Polish world number one Iga Swiatek or the American Jessica Pegula (WTA 6), who has the “home advantage”. (sda)
Karolina Muchova is once again in the semifinals of the US Open.Image: keystone
The best pictures of the US Open 2024
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The best pictures of the US Open 2024
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quelle: keystone / cj gunther
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Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe have reached the semifinals at the US Open. This means that for the first time since 2006, an American will be playing in the final of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.
For Alexander Zverev, the dream of winning his first Grand Slam tournament remains unfulfilled. The Olympic champion from Tokyo was defeated in the quarterfinals at the US Open by Taylor Fritz (ATP 12). The German, seeded number 4, lost to the American, who was more active and willing to take risks for long stretches of the match, after a tough battle 6:7 (2:7), 6:3, 4:6, 6:7 (3:7). Three months ago, the two had already duelled in the round of 16 at Wimbledon for three and a half hours and even then Fritz had prevailed – albeit in five sets. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, the 26-year-old Californian has now made it to a major semifinal for the first time.
