The semi-finals at the 2022 US Open are almost set, with American Frances Tiafoe keeping his dream-run alive on the men’s side of the draw.
The home-town hero cruised past ninth seed Andrey Rublev in a straight-sets quarter final victory (7-7, 7-6, 6-4), to claim his maiden Grand Slam semi-final appearance.
The 24-year-old will face either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, as the two young stars battle it out in their quarter-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The other men’s semi was decided on Wednesday when both Casper Ruud and Karen Khachanov emerged victorious from their match-ups. It means an inaugural Grand Slam championship is up for grabs, with none of the remaining men’s players winning a major so far in their careers.
Khachanov, the 27th seeded Russian took down Nick Kyrgios in five sets (7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4), just two days after the Australian star defeated world number one Daniil Medvedev.
Kyrgios’ quarter-final exit brings his most successful year in Grand Slams to an end, having made his maiden Wimbledon final appearance, as well as claiming men’s doubles victory at the Australian Open.
Wednesday continued to be a bad day in New York for the Aussies, with Ajla Tomjlanovic also bowing out in the women’s quarter-finals.
The 29-year-old was defeated by Tunisian Ons Jabuer 6-4, 7-6, bringing a tournament to an end in which she beat retiring champion Serena Williams in the third round.
Jabuer will now play French seed Caroline Garcia for a place in the final, while Aryna Sabalenka will take on Poland’s Iga Swiatek after the two had won their semi-finals on Thursday.
Swiatek, the women’s world number one, is looking to secure her third Grand Slam title, while the other three semi-finalists are all vying for their first major victory.
Photo: US Open 2019 by Jeff Horne is available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. The photo has not been modified.
