NEW YORK — On Friday, under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will play in one of the biggest matches of each of their respective careers as they meet in a US Open semifinal.
Both Fritz, the No. 12 seed, and Tiafoe, the No. 20 seed, will be looking to reach their first major final.
And the match isn’t just a big deal for them as individuals. Their meeting marks the first semifinals at the tournament featuring two American men since 2005, and it guarantees an American man in a Slam final for the first time since 2009 and the first time at the US Open since 2006.
With so much on the line and with both hoping to make their own history in front of the supportive home crowd of 24,000 fans, Friday should be as electric and memorable of a match as they come. The two are longtime friends and have been playing against each other — and been called two of the country’s brightest young stars — since their early teenage years.
They know each other’s game very well.
“Taylor and I had a conversation about being [the] 1-2 Americans for a very long time,” Tiafoe said after his quarterfinal match. “I remember we were sitting on a plane some years ago, and, you know, he’s a pretty to-himself kind of dude, and he’s like, ‘Bro, I think me and you are going to be 1-2 Americans and leading the way …’
“I think we have kind of always pushed each other. Now I think it’s great that we get to compete against each other in such a big match, and I’m happy for him. I know he’s happy for me. Let the best man win come Friday. It’s going to be epic. Popcorn, do what you got to do. It’s going to be a fun one come Friday.”
While the semifinal showdown could go either way, and certainly make sure to get your popcorn ready, here’s why both players have a chance to get the win — and a prediction of how it might go.
The case for Fritz
History is certainly on Fritz’s side. The two have played seven times on tour, and Fritz has won their previous six meetings, most recently in the quarterfinals at Acapulco last season. And not only did Fritz, 26, win those matches, but he won four of them in straight sets, including during their lone major clash at the 2022 Australian Open.
Tiafoe’s only win came more than eight years ago during the first round at Indian Wells in 2016. So it’s been a while, and Fritz clearly has an edge in the matchup.
Fritz has also showed incredible mental fortitude during his run in New York, and he had arguably the…
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