Four hours and 19 minutes later, a victor emerged.
No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz outlasted No. 22 Frances Tiafoe in the second semifinal on Friday of the men’s bracket at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Tiafoe won the opening set 7(8)-6(6) before Alcaraz rallied to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-1. It wasn’t looking good for the 24-year-old Tiafoe entering the fourth set, but somehow he managed to force a fifth and final set after winning again via tiebreaker 7(7)-6(5).
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In the end, Alcaraz’s heroics proved to be too much for Tiafoe to overcome, as the 19-year-old Spaniard won the last set 6-3.
In a game that had notable spectators like Michelle Obama in attendance, it’s not a matchup that anyone will forget anytime soon as the future of tennis looks to be in safe hands with these two emanating youngsters.
The Alcaraz-Tiafoe battle had Twitter in awe. Here are some of the best reactions:
Alcaraz, playing for his first ever Grand Slam title, will meet No. 5 Casper Ruud of Norway in the final on Sunday.