Frances Tiafoe just pulled off an absolutely mind-blowing comeback at the U.S. Open, battling back from what looked like certain defeat to snatch a thrilling five-set victory against Alex Michelsen in the quarterfinals. For a couple of hours, Michelsen was absolutely rolling, even serving for the match in the third set, and it seemed like he was cruising into his first major semifinal.
The Brink of Collapse
Michelsen, currently ranked No. 46 in the world, was on fire coming into this match, having not dropped a single set. He was playing with serious confidence, taking the first set 7-5 and the second 6-3. He even broke Tiafoe at love in the decisive fifth set to go up 2-0, then ripped a forehand winner to extend his lead to 3-0 on his serve. This kid has some serious pedigree, too, with both his parents playing college tennis. He was originally set to play for the University of Georgia, but after a massive summer surge in August 2023, including winning an ATP Challenger title and reaching his first ATP Tour final, he decided to bypass college and jump straight to the ATP Tour. He was looking every bit the part of a rising star ready for a huge upset.
Tiafoe’s Absolute Refusal to Lose
But Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed, said “not so fast” to all of that. When Michelsen was serving for the match in the third set, Tiafoe dug deep and broke him twice, turning the tide to win that set 7-5. The comeback was on! He then took the fourth set 6-3, pushing it to a winner-take-all fifth. Even in the fifth, after Michelsen went up 3-0, Tiafoe broke back when Michelsen sailed a backhand long, making it 2-3. Serving at 5-all in the fifth, Michelsen showed incredible composure to hold serve from 0-30 down, pushing it to 6-5. But in the match tiebreak, Tiafoe just went for it. He ripped a 96 mph forehand winner to grab a mini-break at 3-2. Then, a forehand service return winner put him up 5-4. He cranked a 134 mph service winner to go ahead 7-4, followed by a ridiculous 135 mph ace to make it 8-6. With Michelsen serving at 6-9, Tiafoe delivered the final blow with a forehand passing shot winner. The crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium was absolutely electric.
What’s Next For Tiafoe
This thrilling 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6) victory sends Tiafoe to his third U.S. Open semifinal. What a moment! He’s set to face the winner of the match between defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and No. 8 Ben Shelton, the current top-ranked American man. An American man hasn’t won a major since Andy Roddick did it all the way back in 2003. With that kind of fight, you gotta believe Tiafoe is ready to make a serious run for the title.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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