To be fair, Frances Tiafoe had warned Carlos Alcaraz that he was coming for him. And he nearly had him. Having taken the opening set from the defending champion, Tiafoe, seeded 29, pushed him all the way in a spectacular five-setter that threatened to dump the Spaniard out of the tournament.
The last match these two played, the 2022 US Open semi-final, was an epic. Here was a rare sequel that lived up to the original. “Obviously it’s always a challenge playing against Tiafoe,” said Alcaraz. “He’s a brilliant talented player. It was really difficult for me to adapt my game [and] find solutions.”
