Stunner at the US Open: A US man will actually play in the men’s final
Our long National Tennis Center nightmare is over. One of the most maddening-slash-embarrassing droughts in recent sports history ends this weekend: A U.S. man will again play in the U.S.
Open men’s final. Guaranteed. It hasn’t happened in 18 years—not since a headbanded Roger Federer thumped a baseball-capped Andy Roddick in four sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2006.
Of course, let’s give plenty of love to Roddick, because he’s also the last U.S. man to capture a major of any kind, in 2003, when he won this same, rowdy New York City tournament. (Roddick’s 2009 Wimbledon finals loss to Federer is the last time a U.S.
men’s player reached a major final of any kind.) Since then, it’s been nothing but tumbleweeds, empty Honey Deuce cups and extra duty Wilsons blowing around…and not a single U.S. male reaching the Open’s concluding day. Not great.
You know what? I should stop blathering on about what hasn’t happened and get to what did: On Tuesday, the American pros Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe each won their quarterfinal matches, ensuring they will meet each other in the men’s semifinals on Friday. The winner will take a place in Sunday’s final—with a chance to redeem a couple of meandering decades for U.S. men’s tennis.
Fritz or Frances, Tiafoe or Taylor…America is a lock. There’s no way for the U.S. to mess this up.
Tiafoe can’t wait: “Friday is going to be one hell of a day." Tiafoe’s reached the U.S. Open semifinals before—two years ago, the Marylander made a memorable second week charge in which he upset Rafael Nadal and took Carlos Alcaraz five sets before eventually falling. For Tiafoe’s friend and fellow 26-year-old Fritz, it’s the deepest run in a major after a string of defeats in the quarters.
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