Tiafoe rallies past Michelsen to reach US Open semifinals
Frances Tiafoe came from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen in a five-set quarterfinal, advancing to his third US Open semifinal and will meet Ben Shelton next.
Frances Tiafoe overturned a two-set deficit to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6) in the US Open quarterfinals on Tuesday, securing his third semifinal appearance at the tournament. After saving match points and delivering a series of aces and aggressive forehands in the final set, Tiafoe closed the match with a decisive forehand winner down the line.
Tiafoe, who described his performance as “not good” during the early stages of the match, said, “It’s the quarterfinals of a Slam, you got to leave it out there.” He added that a single point can change the course of a tennis match.
Michelsen, the world No. 46, acknowledged the disappointment, noting that a double-fault at a critical juncture shifted momentum. He said, “It’s a horrible way to look at it, obviously, because you can only play one point at a time.”
The American will face Ben Shelton, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz, in the semifinals.