Frances Tiafoe underlined his title credentials on Sunday afternoon at the US Open, where he dispatched the 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6) to earn one of his biggest wins of the season.
The American was pumped up throughout the clash on Louis Armstrong Stadium and played electrifying tennis at times to advance to the quarter-finals in New York for the fourth time and record his Tour-leading 25th hard-court victory of the year.
“What a match,” Tiafoe said. “Daniil has been so good and he has beaten me so many times. This is the first time I have beaten him in a regular match, so I am super pumped up about it.”
The two-time US Open semi-finalist, who is chasing his first major title this fortnight, had lost six of his seven Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Medvedev before Sunday but was the sharper and more energised of the two throughout the two-hour, 57-minute clash to set a last-eight clash with countryman Alex Michelsen.
From 5/6 behind in the third-set tie-break, Tiafoe produced tennis from another planet to seal victory in straight sets. Set point down, the American followed in a huge forehand with some rapid reactions at the net to volley through Medvedev.
The 11th seed then found a stunning backhand pass on the stretch to bring up match point and he secured victory on his first match point when he used his athleticism to scamper for one final ball on the forehand to force Medvedev into an error.
After triumphing, Tiafoe raised his arms aloft and embraced the roars of the vocal home crowd. The American now holds a perfect 10-0 record on Louis Armstrong Stadium across his career.
“It has been amazing playing on this court, the energy man,” Tiafoe said after recording his sixth Top-10 win at a major. “It is like the people's court. I am loving the energy for sure.”
Last month, Tiafoe reached the title match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, where he lost to Arthur Fils in three sets. In New York, he has won his past three matches without losing a set after advancing past Martin Damm in five in his opener.
The 28-year-old will next meet Michelsen after the American downed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals at a major for the first time.
Michelsen is just the fourth American man this century to reach the last eight at the hard-court major before turning 23 and he has done so without dropping a set. The 22-year-old, who won an ATP Challenger on hard courts in Bloomfield Hills in July, is up 13 spots to No. 33 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
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