Frances Tiafoe punched his ticket to the US Open semifinals for the third time in New York, clawing back from a massive two-set deficit against fellow American Alex Michelsen in a five-set thriller. Tiafoe, who came into the match with a career grand slam record of 2-17 when trailing 0-2 in sets (and 0-4 at the US Open), dug deep for what’s being called the most impressive comeback of his entire career. It was a wild one: 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6.
Michelsen Looked Unstoppable
Look, the first half of this match felt like it was already over. Michelsen came out absolutely firing, jumping out to an early lead, and Tiafoe’s serve just wasn’t there. Michelsen pounced with a break in the third game of the first set, taking it 7-5. The second set was more of the same dominance, with Michelsen breaking Tiafoe twice and cruising to a comfortable 6-3 win. This kid was on a roll, having not dropped a single set all tournament, entering the quarterfinals with a ridiculous 14-0 record in sets. He looked sharper, his serve was on point, and he seemed well on his way to another straight-set victory after getting an early break in the third. Tiafoe looked flat, producing an awful first-serve percentage below 40% through those first three sets, and couldn’t find a spark. Michelsen even ripped off five straight points to escape a triple break point opportunity when he was up 4-3 in the third, making it feel like the end was near.
The Unbelievable Flip
But hold up! Just when it looked like it was lights out, Tiafoe found something deep. With Michelsen serving for the match in the tenth game of the third set, Tiafoe finally broke him. You could feel the energy shift after he let out a huge yell, firing up himself and the crowd. Michelsen’s serve, which had been so dominant early on, started to break down. You could see the tension of the moment getting to the 22-year-old. Tiafoe capitalized big time, running off three straight games to snatch the third set 7-5. From the absolute brink, he pulled one back, ratcheting up the pressure on his young opponent who was suddenly 14-1 in sets this fortnight. That was the turning point, the moment Tiafoe found that grit we all know he has, and he just kept pushing.
Tiafoe now heads to the semifinals for the third time in five years in New York. He’s gonna face off against the winner of the No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz and No. 8 seed Ben Shelton, battling to break through to his first ever grand slam final. What a performance! Michelsen, for his part, came tantalizingly close to his first grand slam semifinal and produced his best performance yet. This kid proved he’s another young American threat, even if he did fall to 0-3 lifetime in five-set matches. We’ll be watching for what’s next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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