American tennis star Frances Tiafoe is back in the US Open quarterfinals after an impressive win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin. The thrilling match ended 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 in favor of Tiafoe, who is making his third consecutive deep run in New York. The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium roared in support as Tiafoe battled through over three hours of intense competition.
Tiafoe’s road to victory saw him use his powerful forehand and court awareness to outlast Popyrin, who had earlier caused a major upset by defeating Novak Djokovic in the third round. The American’s victory also marks another chapter in his pursuit of ending the U.S. men’s grand slam title drought, with no American having won a major since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Now, Tiafoe prepares for a showdown with ninth-seed Grigor Dimitrov, who is coming off a five-set win against Andrey Rublev. Dimitrov holds a slight edge in their previous meetings, but Tiafoe is playing some of the best tennis of his career, adding excitement to the upcoming clash.
Meanwhile, fellow American Taylor Fritz also secured his spot in the quarterfinals after overcoming Casper Ruud. Fritz and Tiafoe carry the hopes of American tennis fans as the US Open enters its final stages.
