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Frances Tiafoe may have lost his US Open semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz but he put his heart and soul into the match and gave the Spaniard a tough fight.
The American won the opening set 7-6(6) but the 19-year-old roared back into the match to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-1. A few breaks were exchanged in the fourth set and Alcaraz had a match point on Tiafoe's serve when the latter was trailing 4-5. However, the 24-year-old saved it and held his serve to level the score at 5-5. At this point, in the midst of roaring applause, he screamed:
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"I'm putting my heart on the f***ing line."
Tiafoe eventually managed to take the match into the fifth set by winning the fourth 7-6(5). This was the American's eighth tiebreak win at this year's US Open, thus becoming the first man to win that many at the New York Major during the Open Era.
Frances Tiafoe goes down to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in US Open SF
Carlos Alcaraz won the fifth set 6-3 to reach his maiden Grand Slam final. Frances Tiafoe was visibly distraught with the result and was emotional in his post-match on-court interview with Patrick McEnroe.
The American said he felt like he let everyone down but claimed that he would one day win the US Open.
"I came here, I wanted to win the US Open and I feel like I have let everyone down. Carlos is a hell of a player, and a hell of a guy. I’ll come back one day and I’ll win this thing. I’m sorry guys," Frances Tiafoe said.
The USA's wait for a male US Open champion has been extended by another year. No American man has won the title since Andy Roddick in 2003. However, Tiafoe produced a spirited performance and beat the likes of Rafael Nadal, Andrey Rublev, and Diego Schwartzman to reach the semifinals.
As a result of his run in New York, the 24-year-old will make his debut in the Top 20 of the ATP rankings, climbing to 19th.
Following his defeat of the American, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Casper Ruud in the US Open final on Sunday, with the winner clinching his maiden Grand Slam singles title as well as the top spot in the ATP rankings.
