Alcaraz Wins Historic Late-Night US Open Thriller Over Sinner, Tiafoe Keeps Rublev Winless In Slam QFs

Frances Tiafoe came of age Wednesday at the US Open reaching his first Slam semifinal thumping Andrey Rublev 7-6(4), 7-6(0), 6-4.

Tiafoe was dominant on serve dropping just seven total points on his first delivery. And he never lost serve once en route to his second straight win over the Russian in New York.

Rublev had no answers against the American. Though he pushed hard to get to the breakers, his belief and game didn’t go with him. Tiafoe improved to 6-0 in breakers this year at the Open while Rublev falls to 0-6 in Slam quarters, winning just two sets.

Tiafoe becomes the first American man in the US Open semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006, and the first anywhere since John Isner at 2018 Wimbledon.

“This is wild. This is crazy,” said Tiafoe on court. “I had the biggest win of my life 24 hours ago and coming out and getting another big win… Andrey’s a hell of a player, and to back it up, that’s huge. It’s tough to turn the page, but I did and now I’m in the semis.

“I feel so at home on courts like this. This court is unbelievable,” he said. “I always find a way somehow on this court, I always play some great tennis and I have been. Let’s enjoy this, we’ve got two more.”

In one the great matches in Grand Slam history, Carlos Alcaraz rallied from a match point down in the fourth and a break down in the fifth to deny Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3.

“Honestly, I still don’t know how I did it,” he told the crowd.

“I tried to stay calm,” he said. “I had to believe in myself.”

The 5 hours, 15 minute epic was the second longest match ever played at the US Open. And the 2:50am finish, was the latest ever in New York.

Sinner held a match point serving at 5-4 in the fourth but sent a backhand wide.

A hour later, Alcaraz, who had battled from a break down, blasted his 5th ace to win.

Earlier, it was Alcaraz who blew lead an easy set point in the second and a break lead in the fourth.

The 19 year old Alcaraz, the youngest to make a Slam semifinal since Rafael Nadal in 2005, will have a day off before the Tiafoe showdown Friday night.