History was going to be made either way on Friday night, but it was Taylor Fritz whose name would be attached to it.
Fritz, 26, became the first American tennis player to reach a men’s Grand Slam singles final since 2009 and the first to advance to the U.S. Open final since 2006 after he rallied to defeat fellow American Frances Tiafoe in five sets.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m in the final. So I’m going to come out and give everything I can possibly give,” Fritz said during a post-match interview. “I can’t wait.”
The win makes Fritz the first U.S. men’s player to reach a major final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009.
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If he wins his match against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, he would become the first American to win a men’s Grand Slam singles title since Roddick did so 21 years ago – a feat he accomplished at the U.S. Open.
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With history on the line, fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium cheered fiercely for Fritz after the match.
“It’s the reason why I do what I do,” he said, speaking to the fans. “It’s the reason why I work so hard.”
Fritz defeated Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach his first career Grand Slam final.
“He was overwhelming from the baseline so much… and I just tried to tell myself to stay in it and fight,” he said of Tiafoe. “I told myself that if I didn’t give it absolutely everything I had — to just stick with it and see if his level might drop a little bit — then I was going to regret it for a long time.”
The men’s final is slated for Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula is looking to retain the U.S. Open women’s title for the Americans when she takes on Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday afternoon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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