The defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was pushed all the way before beating the American Frances Tiafoe 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
that he was coming for him. And he nearly had him. Having taken the opening set from the defending champion, Tiafoe, seeded 29, pushed him all the way in a spectacular five-setter that threatened to dump the Spaniard out of the tournament.
“Big Foe” v “Little Carlos” sounded like a title fight. There was even some good-natured trash talk in the build-up, Tiafoe declaring himself “ready to go to war” on his good friend. Some dismissed the hype. While their firework-filled five-setter at Flushing Meadows rocketed Alcaraz towards the first of his three grand slams, Tiafoe’s career has had a different trajectory.
The third seed carved drops and lobs. Tiafoe weaved and blocked at the net. While Tiafoe’s aggression was sometimes overcooked – he delivered one smash into his own side of the court – it served him well. If Alcaraz was playing all the angles, Tiafoe was covering them, and the crowd was loving it. Tiafoe saw that, and asked them for more.
Still, Tiafoe wasn’t rolling over, even for a friend. After Alcaraz took the second set 6-2, Tiafoe showed the same resistance he has already demonstrated in this tournament, coming back from two sets down in his first-round match against Matteo Arnaldi. He drew Alcaraz into a cat-and-mouse game around the court until the pressure finally told.
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