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France’s first U.S. Open quarter-final after beating No. 2 Rafael Nadal 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Monday A final.
As a result, Tiafoe joins select companies to field future Hall of Famers across the board:
US Open@usopen
Home Cooking’ 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tuxygYy8JI
He has 49 wins for Nadal, 18 out of 33 an ace. Rarely do you see Nadal overwhelmed like he is at Arthur Ashe. Tiafoe’s not necessarily dominant game in the first three rounds, but he has every game Both went in straight sets as he consistently played in big moments. Such occasions appeared in the first set Nadal served 3-3. The 24-year-old had a serve to take the lead for the first time in the game. US Open @usopen
Frances Tiafoe takes an early break from Ash’s game! pic.twitter.com/2hA6ephEGy
This set the stage for Tiafoe to go into the 10th game 5-4 and serve the group. On his first set, he hit the bottom line with a forehand to pull Nadal out wide and set up the winner on the net on his next shot.
Sports Center@Sports Center
Francis Thiafo takes first win in round of 16 against Nadal‼ ️ 💥 🎾 @usopen pic.twitter.com/0UkpZarj0b
The correct sequence is restored in the second set of fights as the tried and true Nadal begins to step up against Tia Fu pressure. With his opponent serving to his life, Nadal was unable to capitalize on his first break point opportunity, but watched as a double fault brought the game back.
That didn’t shake Tiafoe’s confidence. He grabbed the only break point of the third set, the decisive moment that helped him take a 2-1 lead.
Chris Williamson@CWilliamson44
Frances Tiafoe says he’s not afraid of one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen in Nadal! !
Ben Dowsett @Ben_Dowsett
This is Tiafoe’s Crazy Tennis Dan Wolken@DanWolken
Tiafoe won 38 times against 20 unforced errors in three sets. performance of the great era. https://t.co/RgtznEyPXP
Nadal’s fame precedes him. A lot of fans are looking forward to the southpaw to dig deeper and reach the next level. At a young age, the 22-time Grand Slam champion may have been able to come back.
Monday, not In the fourth set, when Tiafoe dropped serve and trailed 1-3, he started to falter a bit. If this is a harbinger of what’s to come, he will remain calm to win a result that could be decisive for his career. Tiafo will play Andrei Rublev in the quarterfinals. The pair parted ways in their first two meetings, with Rublev most recently standing out at Indian Wells in March.
