NEW YORK — Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz set up an all-American semifinal at the U.S. Open with victories Tuesday, guaranteeing the United States a man in the title match at the country’s Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 18 years.
The 20th-seeded Tiafoe, who grew up in College Park, made it to the final four at Flushing Meadows for the second time in three years when his quarterfinal opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, stopped playing because of an injury in the fourth set. Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1 with midnight approaching when Dimitrov retired from the night match, providing an anticlimactic ending to a contest that was not necessarily of the highest quality.
“It’s not the way I want to get through,” Tiafoe said, “but obviously happy to get through. Another semifinal here. Incredible.”
Just one glimpse of the sort of uneven play from both: Dimitrov held three set points in the tiebreaker at 6-3. On the first, he double-faulted. On the second, he double-faulted again. On the third, Tiafoe double-faulted, handing over that set.
Hours earlier, Fritz advanced in a far more satisfying way, watching one last errant forehand from his higher-ranked, more-accomplished opponent land wide. Fritz dropped his neon-colored racket, clenched both fists and screamed, “Come on!”
He gathered himself and his equipment, walked to the net for a hug with No. 4 Alexander Zverev, who twice was a Grand Slam runner-up, then stepped to the center of Arthur Ashe Stadium, spread his arms wide and yelled again, “Come on!”
After years of climbing the rankings, of becoming the top American man in tennis, of coming close to making a breakthrough at one of his sport’s four most important events, Fritz finally came through at home, beating Zverev, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), to reach a major semifinal for the first time.
The 12th-seeded Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, entered the day with an 0-4 record in Slam quarterfinals.
Now on Friday, he will take on longtime friend Tiafoe, 26.
“It’s the biggest match of me and Taylor’s life. We’ve known each other for so long. I’ve been playing against him since [14-and-under tournaments],” Tiafoe said. “So to be able to play him here … is going to be awesome. I know we’re two Americans but I hope you’re all with me come Friday.”
The Fritz-Tiafoe semifinal — “That could be crazy,” Fritz said, before he knew whom he’d face next — is the first between a pair of American men at any major since 2005, when Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri in New York.
No American man has won a Grand Slam singles trophy since Andy Roddick triumphed at the U.S. Open in 2003; Roddick was the last man from the United States in the U.S. Open final, losing to Roger Federer in 2006.
Dimitrov, who was seeded No. 9, had played a five-setter in the fourth round and appeared to be fading late in the third set against Tiafoe, grabbing at his left hamstring, walking gingerly between points and hitting serves much slower than earlier in the evening. After that set, Dimitrov was visited by a trainer and then headed to the locker room for treatment.
He returned to the court for the start of the fourth set but wasn’t able to move properly and eventually quit. Dimitrov, a 33-year-old from Bulgaria who has appeared in three major semifinals, wouldn’t say afterward exactly what was wrong, only that it was an accumulation of things.
“Just a disappointing moment for me,” Dimitrov said. “I need to reassess a couple of things.”
The other men’s quarterfinals will be played Wednesday: No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, and No. 10 Alex de Minaur vs. No. 25 Jack Draper.
In the women’s bracket, No. 13 Emma Navarro of the U.S. reached her first Grand Slam semifinal by taking the last six games in a 6-2, 7-5 victory over No. 26 Paula Badosa and next faces No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, returns against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, returns to Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, returns against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, celebrates after winning a point against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
Frances Tiafoe of the United States returns a shot against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Frances Tiafoe of the United States returns a shot against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Frances Tiafoe competes in the 4th round of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis championships inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing New York on Sept. 1, 2024. (Andrew Schwartz for NYDN)
Frances Tiafoe competes in the 4th round of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis championships inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing New York on Sept. 1, 2024. (Andrew Schwartz for NYDN)
Frances Tiafoe of the United States returns a shot against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Frances Tiafoe of the United States reacts after a point against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Ball kids attempt to catch a moth that landed on the court as Frances Tiafoe of the United States looks on during the Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria returns as he attempts to play through an injury during the fourth set against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria reacts after winning a game as he attempts to play through an injury during the fourth set against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, right, shakes hands with Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, after he was forced to retire due to an apparent injury during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
Taylor Fritz, of the United States, returns a shot to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Taylor Fritz celebrates winning his quarterfinals match of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis championships inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing New York on Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Schwartz)
Taylor Fritz reacts after defeating Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals match of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis championships inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing New York on Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Schwartz)
Taylor Fritz celebrates winning his quarterfinals match of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis championships inside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing New York on Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Schwartz)
Alexander Zverev of Germany returns a shot against Taylor Fritz of the United States during their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Alexander Zverev (L) of Germany and Taylor Fritz of the United States shake handsfollowing their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 03, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
1 of 21
Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, returns against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
