Bill Simons
New York
Tennis is polite and civil, a pleasant, non-contact sport – right?
Well, sure, unless you’re at a night match at the US Open. Then all bets are off. Honey deuces are flowing, adrenaline is pumping and stock brokers are howling. There’s nothing in this sport like New York noise. “It’s loud even when it’s not loud,” observed Chris Fowler. And tonight wasn’t just your usual mass therapy session at Flushing Meadows. After 18 years, at last we’d have a US Open men’s finalist.
Tonight we had an American sporting civil war of sorts. East coast vs. west coast, Black vs. white, the most charismatic male tennis player since Andy Roddick who unleashes charm offensives with splendid ease vs. a fierce combatant with a sober, laser focus not unlike Pete Sampras’s.
Both Fritz and Foe were seeking to become the first American US Open finalist since 2006 or, better yet, the first American Slam winner since 2003.
They’re both 26 and the best of pals – but not tonight. With an unkind ferocity, Fritz raced to a 3-0 first-set lead.
Could the first all-American US Open semifinal since 2006 possibly be a blow-out? No. 12 seed Fritz had beaten No. 20 seed Tiafoe in six of their seven matches. And Frances, who was hoping to become the first Black man in an Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, was tight.
But not for long.
He soon lit it up under the lights. He unleashed his big serve, swept across the court in a flash and displayed his powerful athleticism. He won five games in a row and took the first set 6-4.
The second set “was routine business – until it wasn’t,” noted Chris McKendry. Both players held serve with ease until late in the set, when Fritz asserted steady power, upped his aggression and gained ascension.
Taylor’s second-set stats impressed. Eight for eight at the net, 15 winners and just three errors – plus unreal serving. He evened the match. But, inexplicably, Fritz’s concentration waned, he double faulted and he played a loose game. Frances pounced and captured the third set 6-4, seeming poised to win.
Taylor confided, “I was freaking out a little bit.” But his coach, Mike Russell, told him to stay the course.
The bigger man, the bigger server, shrugged off his disappointment and showed the steely grit of a willful warrior who’s made so many deep runs in Slams. Fritz prevailed in an epic 31-stroke point – as Frances’s legs wobbled, his energy dipped and his serve wavered. He got ahead of himself and was hit with nerves. His body cramped. He later said, “I had some in-and-out cramps. I just felt like my body kind of shut down on me.”
An ill-advised bailout Tiafoe drop shot gave Taylor the fourth set 6-4 and that most treasured of commodities: momentum.
The stronger man surged, breaking his foe three times in the anti-climatic fifth set, to score a momentous 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win. California dreaming!
Fritz gushed, “I’m in the finals of the US Open! It’s a dream come true. I’m going to give it everything I can.”
He’ll have to. His opponent, Jannik Sinner, is the best player in the world. Then again, many hope Fritz is Taylor-made for history.
WE THOUGHT WE SPOTTED A DUKE, THEN JACK HAD TO PUKE: Jack Draper was hoping that his run at the US Open would be remembered for him being a Brit, like Emma Raducanu in 2021, winning the US Open without losing a set. Instead he lost his lunch.
He was hoping to be remembered as the first Englishman to win the Open since Fred Perry in 1936 or the first British man to do so since Andy Murray in 2012. And up in the stands we thought we spotted a stylish Brit who was a duke. But OMG, then Jack had to puke.
The big lefty did have early hopes of downing the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He came within two points of winning the first set. But his effort today will not bring to mind some mighty shock upset. What was upset was his stomach.
The Brit vomited three times and his Italian friend and doubles partner won going away, 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-2. But it was messy. There were sweaty shoes, slippery grips and after Sinner went on a ten-step sprint to retrieve a Draper flick, he fell and hurt his left wrist.
Jannik recovered, and now the Aussie Open champ hopes to win his second Slam of the year. As for Draper, he said that in the future he doesn’t want to be so cautious. And let’s hope he won’t be so nauseous.
NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST: Draper was asked to name one weakness Jannik Sinner has. Jack replied, “Maybe he’s too nice.” Sinner then told Inside Tennis he disagreed with his friend, and that his one weakness was coming to the net and volleying.
HEADY COMMENTARY: Nick Kyrgios said, “I have many personalities up in my head and they tell me many different things.”
OH, THE TENNIS TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’: Lifetime pals Taylor Townsend and Donald Young lost in the mixed doubles final. But still, Townsend was proud. She said, “I just hope Donald and I standing here, Frances in the semifinal and Coco being the defending champion, show that it is possible for people like us.”
GO FIGURE: Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe have the same agent: Matt Fawcett.
THE ECSTASY OF AUDREY FROM PHILLY: The other day we noted that the Open’s “fan cam,” that captures the passion and spontaneity of the Ashe Stadium throng, seemed to have vanished. But it’s come back, and for the first time ever, it showed an elated fan right by one of Inside Tennis’ intrepid correspondents. And Audrey, a TikTok influencer and actress from Philly, went out of her gourd. It seemed like the highlight of her life.
BROMANCE OF THE SEASON: Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper battled on court today. But off court they’re pals. Draper explained, “Jannik is a good friend – someone I’m definitely close to…You’re on the road, you’re playing such a relentlessly intense sport, both physically and emotionally, and it’s difficult. We haven’t got many friends.”
WEDDING WOES: Lyudmyla Kichenok was planning to get married Wednesday. But she and her longtime doubles partner, Jelena Ostapenko, kept on winning, and the Ukrainian had to postpone her wedding. At least the duo won the doubles title, and with her $375,000 prize money, Lyudmyla will be able to buy quite the wedding dress.
