In the women’s singles competition, the talk was of a “changing of the guard” as Serena Williams made one last run. (Probably. We think.)
But the women’s tennis guard isn’t really changing. In Serena’s absence, we’ve seen about a dozen players emerge who are all capable of winning majors. They’re still there.
The change is on the men’s side. The era of the Big Three (occasionally Big Four) is starting to fade. The No. 1 spot in the world will be decided Sunday between two guys who are going to be around for a while. And Carlos Alcaraz has a ceiling that’s someone in the parts of the atmosphere that can only be reached by billionaires’ rockets.
And some players have become must-see viewing. Who won’t want to watch Frances Tiafoe, who didn’t have his serve in high gear and had a lapse of about 45 minutes but still pushed the outstanding Alcaraz into a fifth set and a fifth hour? And Nick Kyrgios has that McEnroe “it” factor of being volatile but charismatic.
Long live the new guard. This is a lot of fun. Thanks for following along with me again. Now have a rest (once you read Bryan Graham’s match report below):
Updated
Patrick McEnroe first interviews Tiafoe, who’s in tears and takes some time to answer.
Tiafoe tells Alcaraz he’ll win a lot of Grand Slams. “You’re a hell of a player and a hell of person.”
“I will come back, I will win this thing one day. Sorry guys.” And that’s all he can say before walking back to his chair while the crowd roars and Alcaraz again points to salute.
Over to Alcaraz, who gives cliched but accurate answers about persevering through five-hour matches.
Tiafoe leaves the court, touching his heart to thank the crowd.
Alcaraz doesn’t seem interested in looking ahead to the final. It seems so far away, he says.
McEnroe then gives Alcaraz a chance to say a few words in Spanish. I studied the wrong language in high school and college, so I have no idea what he said. I think one word translates to “incredible.”
Carlos Alcaraz advances to US Open final
How do you beat this guy? Alcaraz takes Tiafoe’s best shots, and Tiafoe finally hits wide. 0-15
Tiafoe gets impatient and hits long. 0-30
Then it’s that lob again. Tiafoe runs Alcaraz from one side of the court to the other, approaches the net and volleys, Alcaraz scrambles and ends up putting a lob just inside the baseline. Triple match point
Ace. Double match point
Fault. Alcaraz returns long, by a sliver of green. Still match point.
Alcaraz returns. The ball ends up at Tiafoe’s feet, and he hits into the net. That’s it.
Alcaraz lies down on the court. There’s more relief than excitement. Tiafoe comes around the net and gives Alcaraz a good hug. As they break, Alcaraz points at Tiafoe to salute his valiant opponent.
Updated
Fifth set: Alcaraz 5-3 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Ace. Tiafoe error. Unreturnable serve. Scramble to save a should-be Tiafoe winner, followed by a Tiafoe error.
Tiafoe serving to stay alive.
Fifth set: *Alcaraz 4-3 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Alcaraz goes up 15-0, and this seems like deja vu, with the wheels falling off the Tiafoe wagon. (I’d actually call it a Tiafoe sports car.)
But Tiafoe takes the next point, and buries Alcaraz’s next return with a forehand winner. Then it’s an ace, his 14th.
Tiafoe hits long. 40-30. The crowd noise slowly crescendos.
Double fault. Deuce.
Tiafoe has only hit 46% of his first serves.
And he misses the next. He flirts with a double-double but lands it just inside the line and holds his nerve to win the point.
But Alcaraz’s ability to prolong points is simply unfair. Tiafoe hits at least two shots that would be winners again mere mortals. He returns them. Deuce.
Boom. Ad-Tiafoe.
Boom, return goes long. Game.
Can Tiafoe break once more?
Fifth set: Alcaraz 4-2 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
We’re in hour 5.
Alcaraz holds at love.
Fifth set: *Alcaraz 3-2 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Most faults in this match have been too close for anything but Hawk-eye to tell. But Tiafoe puts one much farther away, and that seems to unnerve him. Point lost, 0-15.
Does anyone hit lobs better than Alcaraz? In big trouble in the next point, he arcs one up into the air. Tiafoe turns to look, and the shot drops into the back corner. 0-30.
And Tiafoe’s roller-coaster match is back in the valley. Alcaraz breaks at love.
Fifth set: Alcaraz 2-2 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
0-15. Then Alcaraz misses by a mile, and it’s 0-30.
This can’t happen, can it? There’s no way Tiafoe comes back again, right?
Alcaraz is simply too strong on the next point. 15-30
Then it’s an unforced error from Tiafoe, and it’s shocking because, after having tons of horrible shots in the third set, Tiafoe has been much more solid. 30-30
But Alcaraz falters, and it’s break point.
Fault. Second serve. Tiafoe takes a couple of hops up and pounces like Ramsay Bolton’s dogs. Return winner.
We’re on serve.
Fifth set: *Alcaraz 2-1 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe continues to conjure surges of power from who knows where. He wears down Alcaraz to go up 30-0. He follows with an ace, not his fastest serve of the night but placed perfectly. He controls the next point and holds at love.
Fifth set: Alcaraz 2-0 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe is fighting hard. A series of powerful shots induces Alcaraz to hit into the net for 30-30.
But Alcaraz just finds open spaces to hit. A forehand winner makes it 40-30. A changeup on the serve, just 98 mph, clinches the game.
Fifth set: *Alcaraz 1-0 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Millimeters. Tiafoe could’ve been up 40-15, but it’s 30-30. Then 30-40 after a shot into the net. On break point, Tiafoe hits the net cord, and the ball slips back into his own side.
Conventional wisdom would say Alcaraz would be fading here after his epic matches through the week. But how much adrenaline and how much emotional energy has Tiafoe used to get back to this point?
My body is yelling at me to go to sleep. It’s been a long week.
But this is as dramatic a competition as you’ll ever see. So what if we go five hours again?
TIAFOE FORCES A FIFTH SET!!! pic.twitter.com/zmhyoam9Kv
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2022
Frances Tiafoe wins the fourth set
Alcaraz serves after the umpire pleads for quiet. It’s a good serve, but Tiafoe returns well. Alcaraz hits back, and it’s wide!
Tiafoe looks like MMA old-timer Rampage Jackson, letting loose a howl in the New York night. We’re tied.
Tiafoe serves. Fault. Alcaraz’s return is just slightly on the baseline. His next shot is just slightly wide. 5-5
Tiafoe serves. Alcaraz can’t return it. Set point, Tiafoe. Can you believe this?
Tiafoe serves, and Alcaraz’s return is in the net. 4-3 Tiafoe.
Alcaraz serves, Tiafoe returns, and Alcaraz hits a picture-perfect drop shot. 4-4
Alcaraz serves, Tiafoe struggles to return, and Alcaraz hits a forehand winner the other direction. 5-4 Alcaraz
Alcaraz serves, and Tiafoe hits a couple of pinpoint returns. Alcaraz hits wide, and Tiafoe has the mini-break. 3-1
Alcaraz serves, and Tiafoe’s return is in the net. 3-2
Tiafoe serves, and Alcaraz rips his second serve for a clean backhand winner. 3-3, and we’re back on serve.
Alcaraz serves and outlasts Tiafoe in a compelling rally.
Tiafoe serves and induces an error with his second serve. 1-1
Tiafoe serves and does the impossible, running Alcaraz so far in one direction that even he can’t return the other way to keep the ball in play. 2-1 Tiafoe
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 6-6 Tiafoe (going to tiebreaker)
Alcaraz hits long on the first point. Tiafoe gets an ace on the second.
Then Alcaraz responds with another otherworldly return, forced far to his right and still ripping a forehand back in play to the corner.
But Tiafoe slams his way through the next two points. After being all but out of it, in score and in body language, Tiafoe has taken this to a tiebreaker. He has won all seven of his tiebreakers in this Open. Will this be lucky eight?
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 6-5 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
How is Alcaraz doing this? Tiafoe smashes the ball cross-court, and Alcaraz gets there as if teleporting, then hits a sublime cross-court shot that Tiafoe can only watch. Alcaraz goes on to hold at love.
Tiafoe will once again serve to prolong this match.
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 5-5 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
A smash opportunity, and Tiafoe squanders it. Alcaraz hits a winner, and it’s 0-30.
Tiafoe battles back nicely for 30-30, but Alcaraz wins the next, and it’s match point.
The big points in this match just keeping getting bigger. Alcaraz slowly builds up an advantage, but Tiafoe gets a bit lucky with a ball of the net cord. Alcaraz could’ve hit better, with his drop shot falling where Tiafoe can get it, and Tiafoe slices his shot so it goes over the net, lands in play and spins away. Deuce.
Backhand winner. Ad-Tiafoe.
Boom. It’s 5-5. Tiafoe has officially come back from the brink.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 5-4 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
At 0-15, Tiafoe simply outlasts Alcaraz in a rally – something that hasn’t happened often – and he charges the net for the winner, acrobatically stopping his own momentum to avoid an illegal touch of the net.
But Alcaraz otherwise controls the game. Tiafoe now faces what is literally a must-win service game.
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 4-4 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe opens a must-win service game with a terrific serve, and he calmly dispatches Alcaraz’s nifty returns. Then it’s an ace for 30-0.
Alcaraz tries to pounce on a second serve. Nothing but net. 40-0.
Unreturnable forehand. Holds at love.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 4-3 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
At 30-15, Alcaraz unleashes a monstrous serve. Tiafoe returns well. Then hits even better. It’s a cross-court backhand that leaves Alcaraz stranded.
Alcaraz takes the next point, smashing Tiafoe’s lob attempt. He closes out the game and heads to his chair for a banana, some gel and two drinks of different colors. Gotta consume a variety of colors to stay healthy, right?
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 3-3 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Remember when these guys were winning their service games with no trouble at all? Tiafoe does it here, and he bares his teeth and pumps his fist. He’s very much alive after withstanding about 45 minutes of a beatdown.
Speaking of which … welcome to hour 4.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 3-2 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
On ESPN, Chris Fowler and John McEnroe are already talking about an Alcaraz-Ruud final in which we would have a first-time champion and a new No. 1.
No one told Tiafoe to tap out, though, and he comes out the better in an exchange of drop shots to go up 15-30. He pummels his way through the next point and earns two break points.
He only needs one. Backhand return winner, and he sprints to his chair for the changeover. Back on serve.
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 3-1 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
And just like that, Tiafoe is on the ropes again. At 15-30, Tiafoe hits effectively and comes to the net for an easy shot – that he hits well long and wide. Double break point.
But Tiafoe fights back. Two confident forehands save the second break point, and it’s deuce.
Alcaraz, though, just has an answer for everything. Tiafoe rips a terrific serve, Alcaraz returns, Tiafoe hits and approaches the net, and Alcaraz hits one close to Tiafoe’s body that he can’t get over the net, much to his obvious chagrin.
A couple more brilliant shots later, Alcaraz has broken back.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 2-1 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe pounces on a second serve to hit a winner. As dominant as Alcaraz has been, a break puts Tiafoe right back in it. And it looks like he’ll get that chance after he punishes a weak drop shot to go up 0-30.
Alcaraz strikes back with an effective serve to set up a forehand winner. Then he gets a backhand winner, one of several recent points in which Tiafoe is stuck at the net while Alvaraz gleefully slams it.
Another error for Tiafoe, and he has the look of a soccer player whose team is down 5-0.
And yet … it’s still not over. Tiafoe gets to deuce. Alcaraz wins the next, but Tiafoe pounds Alcaraz’s second serve with some fury and wins a brief rally to get back to deuce.
Then comes the best return of the match. Alcaraz served well. Tiafoe looks like he’s just stabbing at it with his backhand, but it slides nicely into the corner where Alcaraz can’t get it. Break point.
Another good return. A few shots in a tense baseline rally. Finally, Tiafoe gets a slight advantage and capitalizes with an angled winner.
Tiafoe lets out a yell and pumps both fists. We’re on serve in the fourth.
Updated
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 2-0 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Much better from Tiafoe. Some good serves, including a well-placed second serve to go up 40-15.
But this isn’t just about Tiafoe trying to shake off a bunch of errors. Alcaraz is doing no wrong. On the next two points, Tiafoe has Alcaraz beaten, and Alcaraz simply responds with a wonder shot – a lob deep to one corner that Tiafoe races back to get and hit only as far as the net, then a cross-court winner off a drop shot. Tiafoe follows with a horrific unforced error, then Alvarez drops one right at Tiafoe’s shoelaces to set up another winner for another break.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 6-1 1-0 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
At 30-15, we get a glimpse of the last 30 minutes in a nutshell. Alcaraz hits a drop shot. Tiafoe races forward to get it and ends up at the net. Alcaraz then simply hits right past Tiafoe, who doesn’t even lunge at it.
Carlos Alcaraz wins the third set 6-1
At 15-15, Tiafoe double-faults. The next rally is 16 shots, but the 16th is one that Tiafoe drilled into the net. Double break/set point.
Alcaraz misses the baseline with a lob, and not by much. One set point left.
Tiafoe clanks one into the net. Another break. Another set. Tiafoe wasn’t going to come back and win this set, but that’s a terrible way to go into the fourth.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 5-1 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Alcaraz holds at love.
One of many bad outcomes for Tiafoe in this set is that he’s squandering the opportunity to make a guy who has played nine hours this week play another drawn-out set. Alcaraz’s legs have to give out at some point, right?
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 4-1 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Ace. Good serve. Another good serve, then some poise to retreat and smash an Alcaraz lob. 40-0.
Alcaraz gets one back with a deep return. Tiafoe calmly hits another ace. Bagel averted.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 4-0 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Stats: Through three games in this set, Tiafoe has five unforced errors and a double fault.
At 15-15, Tiafoe plays his two best shots of the set, landing a difficult return in play and following up with a clean winner. If nothing else, that’ll give Tiafoe a slight jolt of confidence.
And it’s nothing else, because Tiafoe hits into the net on the next point and hits an unpressured shot long on the next. Tiafoe will serve. His only realistic goal in this set is to avoid the bagel.
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 3-0 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
A forehand winner stops the skid, but Tiafoe continues to falter and double faults to give Alcaraz two break points. An unforced error gives Alcaraz a second break. An even match is now decidedly not even.
Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 2-0 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
At 30-0, Tiafoe does well to get to a drop shot and return, only to see Alcaraz hit another brilliant shot to take the point. He holds at love.
Since Tiafoe had a break point to get back on serve in the second set, Alcaraz has won 11 straight points.
*Alcaraz 6-7 6-3 1-0 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
The players take a well-deserved break, as if planning to keeps us all here for another three hours. We know it’s coming, don’t we?
Tiafoe takes a longer break, leaving Alcaraz waiting on the court. That’s not a bad thing, though, given the presence of the ever-present tennis entourages with whom he can chat. Why don’t journalists have entourages? I’d love to have a few people offering me advice and encouragement while I … no, you know what, scratch that.
Tiafoe hits a shot just long. And I mean a millimeter long. First look at Hawk-Eye makes it seem in, but when it tilts, we can see just that teeny bit of green between the line and the ball’s shadow.
And it goes wrong for Tiafoe from there. Two shots in the net, and it’s triple break point. The crowd tries to give Tiafoe a lift, but he looks out of sorts on the next rally and hits long. Break at love.
Going back a ways, here’s the best point of this match or many a match, near the end of the first set:
CARLOS ALCARAZ IS A HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL pic.twitter.com/2ySEIlloEp
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2022
Carlos Alcaraz wins the second set 6-3
Alcaraz opens with an ace. He hits another great serve but botches a volley at the net. They trade winners (OK, “forced error” in Tiafoe’s case), and then Tiafoe earns break point with a brilliant backhand that just finds the line. He does it again on the next, but this one pops up for Tiafoe to smash for deuce.
One more for Alcaraz, and it’s set point. Another good serve and brief rally, and Alcaraz has leveled the match.
*Alcaraz 6-7 5-3 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe quickly drops into a 0-30 hole, then lands a nice winner.
Alcaraz, though, conjures a truly special shot. With Tiafoe coming to the net, a few feet to the left of the center line, Alcaraz somehow finds just enough space to sneak it past a dejected Tiafoe. Double break/set point.
How to respond? How about an unreturnable serve, an ace, and another unreturnable serve? Nice hold to prolong the set. Can Tiafoe break to get back on serve?
Updated
Alcaraz 6-7 5-2 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
The break clearly rattled Tiafoe, who had already struggled with his returns in Alcaraz’s last service game. He quickly drops two points.
But Alcaraz drops the next. Then Tiafoe hits a brilliant cross-court shot, with about one-quarter of the ball catching the line. Alcaraz hits into the net on the next, and now Tiafoe has a break point.
It’s an even rally for a while in a 15-shot rally, but Alcaraz manages to hit a deep one, and Tiafoe can’t get around it, hitting into the net. Deuce.
Tiafoe’s next return is long, and he punches his racket. But Alcaraz can’t close out the game, playing a drop shot that Tiafoe covers with relative ease. Deuce.
Big, big serve from Alcaraz, and Tiafoe’s shot hangs in the air before falling a couple of inches over the net and a few inches in play, where Alcaraz is waiting to smash it.
One more winner, and Alcaraz holds.
Updated
*Alcaraz 4-2 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
And just as I say these guys aren’t overpowering each other on their serves, Tiafoe lets loose with an ace.
But Tiafoe has three unforced errors in the next four points, and he’s suddenly facing break point. Tiafoe again uncorks a big serve, and Alcaraz’s shot is quite long.
Alcaraz wins the next point the old-fashioned way. He gets to a drop shot, then ducks as Tiafoe tries to blast it back, hitting long.
And Alcaraz converts this time. First break of the match.
Alcaraz 6-7 3-2 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Not Tiafoe’s best game in terms of returning serve. Alcaraz holds at love.
Funny thing – we’ve only had two break points each way in this match, even no neither player is overpowering the other on the serve. They’re doing just enough to gain a slight edge in the ensuing rally and keeping the advantage from there.
Updated
*Alcaraz 6-7 2-2 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe comes back from that thriller with a few wayward serves. A double fault makes it 0-30. He’s lucky to survive the next point when Alcaraz tries to volley the ball at an acute angle but makes a little bit too much contact, and it goes wide. He can’t return the next serve, and it’s 30-30. Tiafoe forces Alcaraz wide, and the Spaniard does well just to lob it back into play. Tiafoe lets it bounces, then hits an impressive smash from pretty far back in the backcourt.
How best to follow that up? Drop shot. Alcaraz can’t even get near it. Tiafoe holds after a little scare.
Updated
Alcaraz 6-7 2-1 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Remember when every between-the-legs shot was a SportsCenter Top 10 highlight? It’s getting routine now, and in this case, it comes when Alcaraz drives Tiafoe back from the net. Tiafoe duly does what gridiron people would call a “hike,” and Alcaraz is waiting to put it away. 15-15.
Tiafoe hits a big shot, approaches the net and easily finishes. 15-30.
Alcaraz fights back to 30-30, but then Tiafoe moves up several feet to challenge his second serve, and it’s all Alcaraz can do to get his racket to the ball a couple of times in a brief rally. Break point.
Tiafoe anticipates the drop shot. But Alcaraz makes it too good, and Tiafoe can’t redirect it back in play. Deuce.
Big serve, easy rally. Ad-Alcaraz.
The next point is full of shots that absolutely should not been returned but are. Tiafoe drives one toward the corner, and Alcaraz goes to full stretch to hit a backhand that flies past Tiafoe, who manages to race back and hit it. The rally continues for a few more shots until Alcaraz finally dinks one off the net cord, and Tiafoe can’t get it back.
An uncomfortable hold for Alcaraz, but both players come up smiling, like a couple of UFC fighters who think they have a shot at a Fight of the Night bonus.
Updated
*Alcaraz 6-7 1-1 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Let’s see – can I find any Twitter content that has the point from the first set with all the …
Tiafoe holds at love. That was quick.
Updated
Alcaraz 6-7 1-0 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Phew! What an amazing finish to a set that featured a couple of highlight …
And Alcaraz holds at love. That was quick.
Frances Tiafoe wins first set 7-6
Tiafoe serves. Fault. Second serve is good, and Tiafoe hits some nicely sliced diagonal shots to earn another set point. 7-6.
Alcaraz serves. Fault.
DOUBLE! Did NOT expect that.
The set took 64 minutes, by the way, so we’re on pace for another match of more than five hours if we go five sets.
Alcaraz serves. Tiafoe works him over into a corner, but Alcaraz returns it well, and Tiafoe’s winner attempt goes long. 6-4 Tiafoe.
Alcaraz serves. Ace down the center. 6-5 Tiafoe, and the American will serve on his last chance to win the set (for now).
Tiafoe serves. Fault. Alcaraz’s noises when he hits are now going two syllables. It apparently works, with a shot forcing Tiafoe to scramble and miss the return. 6-6.
Alcaraz serves, and it’s another good one, forcing Tiafoe to hit long. 4-3 Tiafoe.
Tiafoe serves. Ace, just hugging the center line. 5-3 Tiafoe.
Tiafoe serves. Goes for that center line again but finds net. Second serve induces a wide return. 6-3 Tiafoe, triple set point. The crowd is again enthused.
Tiafoe serves. Another near-ace – the ball travels so fast on these serves that I can’t tell. Alcaraz pounces on the second serve but hits long. 3-1.
Tiafoe serves. It’s a big one, and Alcaraz’s return drifts long. 4-1 Tiafoe.
Alcaraz serves. No pressure. At least, he doesn’t seem to feel it, playing aggressively (and loudly) to win a short rally. 4-2 Tiafoe.
Tiafoe serves. Ace.
Alcaraz serves. Let, fault … serve-and-volley winner. 1-1
Alcaraz serves. Barely misses an ace. Then double faults. 2-1 Tiafoe, and the American towels off.
Alcaraz 6-6 Tiafoe (going to tiebreaker)
Alcaraz seems to know exactly when to come to the net. A volleyed drop shot makes it 30-0. But Alcaraz makes a couple of unforced errors to again bring Tiafoe within two points of the set.
Then another miss. Break point. Set point. The crowd rises.
And Alcaraz gets enough of his serve to force Tiafoe to hit wide. Tiafoe barely touches the next serve.
The next point might set some of record for drop shots in one point. Tiafoe hits a sort-of off the return. Alcaraz hits a great one, but Tiafoe gets to it. Alcaraz has to scramble backwards to get one going past him, and it’s another drop. And another … look, I lost count, you’re going to have to see the highlight later (I’ll check Twitter), and we’re going to the tiebreaker.
*Alcaraz 5-6 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Alcaraz plays the perfect drop shot … except that it’s just a little short. Tiafoe wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere near it.
A good second serve prompts a long return from Alcaraz, and it’s 30-0. Then it’s a big-time winner down the line – ESPN says it’s 102 mph – and a fist pump to make it 40-0. Alcaraz hits long on the next point, and Tiafoe holds at love.
Put a pin in this game. This could give Tiafoe a lot of confidence after a couple of shaky games on his serve. Alcaraz will serve to stay in the set.
Alcaraz 5-5 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Alcaraz is either the most precise player in the world or is getting very lucky with these shots on the line. At 15-15, he botches a volley at the net, but it catches a sliver of the line. A double fault, the first of the match, makes it 30-30.
Tiafoe safely returns the next serve, and that gives him a chance to earn set point. But Alcaraz outfoxes him and freezes Tiafoe with a winner down the line. Alcaraz wins the next one nicely, and he holds.
*Alcaraz 4-5 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
An exchange of shots barely going out gets us to 15-15, and then Alcaraz pounces to go up 15-30.
Then comes something rarely seen in professional tennis – an outright whiff on a service return, as Tiafoe puts on some sort of wicked spin or possibly telekinetic shift. At 30-30, Tiafoe hits one that dings the net cord and drops straight down on the other side. Alcaraz finds the net on the next point, and Tiafoe holds. These service games aren’t entirely comfortable, though.
Alcaraz 4-4 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
For once, Alcaraz does not land his shot on the line, missing by millimeters, and Tiafoe is up 0-15. Alcaraz slams the door from there.
Only one ace in this match so far. A bit of a change from other matches we’ve seen.
One thing to watch: Tiafoe is 12-for-13 on his first serve. He’s 6-for-13 on his second.
*Alcaraz 3-4 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Uh oh. Alcaraz wins the first point with a solid winner, and Tiafoe rushes a shot into the next for 0-30. Tiafoe bounces back with a 134-mph ace, but he hits long on the next point to give Alcaraz double break point.
Tiafoe makes efficient work of the first of those points. Alcaraz steps forward to attack Tiafoe’s second serve, but he’s a bit too eager and hits long.
Again, Tiafoe escapes with an unforced Alcaraza error off his second serve. Then he lands his first, gets to the net and smashes. Vital hold for the American there.
Alcaraz 3-3 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
The proverbial rush of blood to the head strikes Alcaraz on the first point, as he hits long. Tiafoe is a little unlucky on the next two points and indeed in the rest of the game, with Alcaraz keeping Hawk-Eye busy with some shots hitting various lines.
*Alcaraz 2-3 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
One unforced error in an otherwise routine hold for Tiafoe.
OK, I’ll quit the fashion commentary for a while.
Alcaraz 2-2 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Are these guys wearing identical shirts? It’s not completely obvious because the backs are white, while the fronts are mostly orange-ish.
Pretty sure I just saw Joel McHale.
Alcaraz holds at love. Not too much to analyze here. Big servers winning their serves.
*Alcaraz 1-2 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
While I was listing celebrities, Tiafoe won the first three points of the game. A smash attempt goes awry after that, but Tiafoe holds with a forehand winner.
Alcaraz 1-1 Tiafoe* (* – denotes next server)
Alcaraz is hitting deep in these rallies. Too deep. Twice. 15-30.
But the Spaniard wins the next rally, and Tiafoe’s effort at a cross-court return at 30-30 just barely goes wide. The next serve can’t be returned, and that’s it.
Michelle Obama is sitting with Jill Vedder’s (Eddie’s wife), says rock fan John McEnroe. Tennis legend Stan Smith is sitting next to retired NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. This would be an amazing dinner party.
*Alcaraz 0-1 Tiafoe (* – denotes next server)
Tiafoe needs his second serve on the opening point, and Alcaraz makes quick work of it. Tiafoe lands the next two, forcing errors with each one.
Next up: A point with more angles than a 12-sided die, ending with an Alcaraz shot in which Hawk-eye shows that a tiny, minuscule, very small piece of the ball caught the line. Tiafoe responds with a solid winner, but he hits ever so slightly wide on the next point for deuce.
The next two points, though, are won with well-placed, powerful serves. Tiafoe holds his nerve and holds the serve.
Tiafoe will serve. He smiles. Here we go …
Prematch interviews: Tiafoe has a lot of respect for Alcaraz. Well, yeah.
Valid question for Alcaraz: How do you feel after more than nine hours on the court this week? “There’s no time to be tired,” he says with a smile.
Hoops wear …
Wednesday: Bradley Beal supports Frances Tiaofoe from the stands.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 9, 2022
Today: Tiafoe wears Beal's jersey while warming up 🤩 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/rHK4vbfYuX
Still no indication that we’re getting close to this match.
So how is everyone today?
We have not yet seen player introductions. Maybe Alcaraz is taking a well-deserved nap?
Who’s No. 1?
Current No. 1 Daniil Medvedev surrendered the top place when he lost in the round of 16 to Nick Kyrgios. No. 2 Alexander Zverev isn’t competing in New York because of an injury. We know Rafael Nadal will not be returning to the top spot in the rankings, thanks to Tiafoe’s win over the 36-year-old Spaniard in the round of 16 here.
If Alcaraz wins out, he’ll be the youngest ever to be No. 1. If he loses here, Casper Ruud will be the first Norwegian to top the rankings. (Those factoids are from the ATP Tour itself.)
Ruud defeated Karen Khachanov this afternoon in a tidy three-hour match to reach the final, so if Alcaraz wins tonight, it’ll be one of those rare head-to-head matchups to decide the king of the mountain.
Ready for a matchup of an unstoppable force vs. a guy who has spent more time on the court this week than a lot of us have at work?
Frances Tiafoe of the USA! USA! USA! (trademark Guardian commentators) brings his uninhibited enthusiasm to Arthur Ashe Stadium again Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who got here by winning a quarter-final match that lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes. That was his second straight five-setter, following a Round of 16 match that lasted nearly four hours.
Alcaraz, a rising star at age 19, is ranked fourth in the world. Tiafoe is 26th. But Tiafoe will have home court and has won the only matchup between the two – a 2021 encounter on clay in Barcelona.
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Tumaini Carayol’s look back at Carlos Alcaraz’s epic quarter-final win over Jannik Sinner.
