Carlos Alcaraz reacts to the crowd after defeating Frances Tiafoe. Photo / AP
Carlos Alcaraz reacts to the crowd after defeating Frances Tiafoe. Photo / AP
Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe engaged in a high-level, high-energy spectacle of a back-and-forth semifinal at the US Open — no point over when it seemed to be, no ball out of reach, no angle too audacious.
One sequence was so stuffed with "What?! How?!" moments by both men thatArthur Ashe Stadium spectators were on their feet before it was over and remained there, clapping and carousing, through a replay on the video screens.
Ultimately, enough of the winners went Alcaraz's way, and too many of the mistakes came from Tiafoe's racket. And so it was Alcaraz who surged into his first Grand Slam final — and, in the process, gave himself a chance to become No 1 at age 19 — by ending Tiafoe's run at Flushing Meadows with a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory this afternoon.
"It's amazing to be able to fight for big things," Alcaraz said.
"You have to give everything on court," he said. "Frances gave everything on court."
Alcaraz appeared to seize control by grabbing nine of 10 games in one stretch and could have ended the evening when he held a match point in the fourth set. But Tiafoe, who is ranked 26th, saved it and soon was yelling, with some colourful language mixed in for emphasis, "I'm putting my heart on the line!" Soon after that, Tiafoe was forcing a fifth set by improving to a US Open-record 8-0 in tiebreakers.
Still, Alcaraz showed no signs of fatigue despite playing a third five-setter in a row — including a five-hour, 15-minute quarter-final win that ended at 2:50am, the latest finish in tournament history — and was better when he needed to be, taking four of the last five games.
"Too good from Carlos," Tiafoe said. "I gave everything I had. I'm going to be back, and I will win this thing one day."
Frances Tiafoe reacts after losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Photo / AP
Now No 3 Alcaraz will face No 5 Casper Ruud for the championship on Monday with so much on the line: The winner will become a major champion for the first time and lead the world rankings next week.
Ruud, 23, moved into his second Grand Slam final of the year by beating Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. The Norwegian lost to Rafael Nadal at the French Open his first time playing for a major title.
He came into this year with a record of just 14-13 in Grand Slam matches, then needed to sit out the Australian Open in January after twisting his ankle in practice. Since then? He's 13-2 at the majors in 2022.
"After Roland Garros, I was extremely happy," Ruud said, "but also humble enough to think that could be my only final of my career."
It didn't take long to get to his second.
Alcaraz and Tiafoe were both making their major semifinal debuts and offered an exceptionally entertaining performance.
Tiafoe, a 24-year-old from Maryland who eliminated 22-time Grand Slam champ Nadal in the fourth round, played to a sellout crowd of more than 23,000 that included former first lady Michelle Obama, often asking for — and receiving — more noise. No surprise, given he was the first American man in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows in 16 years.
"I feel I let you guys down," Tiafoe said during an unusual chance for a match's loser to address the crowd in an on-court interview. "This one hurts. This one really, really hurts."
Alcaraz, who's from Spain, is popular around the world, widely recognised as a future star of the sport, and he is now the youngest US Open men's finalist from any country since Pete Sampras won the trophy at 19 in 1990.
If he wins the final, he will also become the youngest man to get to the ATP's top spot since the computerised rankings began in 1973.
In tomorrow morning's women's final, No 1 Iga Swiatek goes for her third Slam title against No 5 Ons Jabeur, who is looking to become the first Arab woman to win a Slam.
