Taylor Fritz and Emma Navarro qualified for their first Grand Slam semi-finals on Tuesday in front of their home fans at the US Open tennis tournament, where hopes are growing that they will once again have a representative in the men’s final.
That goal could be assured on Tuesday if Frances Tiafoe beats Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in his night-time quarter-final.
In that case, Fritz and Tiafoe would compete in one of the semi-finals to succeed Andy Roddick, the last American to play in a final (2006) and who won the title (2003) in New York.
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“This crowd wants to see me and Tiafoe to have an American finalist. It could be crazy,” Fritz said after beating German Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals in front of more than 20,000 fans on Centre Court.
The Californian, number 12 in the ATP, prevailed in a three-and-a-half-hour battle against Zverev (4) by 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-4 and 7-6 (7/3).
At 26, Fritz has reached his long-awaited first major tournament semifinals after failing in his five previous attempts.
“I had other chances in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam but today felt different,” he recalled. “I felt it was my time to step up and it was only right to do it on this court in front of this crowd.”
For Zverev, a finalist in New York in 2020 and at Roland Garros this year, this elimination represents one of his greatest recent frustrations.
The Hamburg-born player was at his worst when he had a huge opportunity to fight for his long-awaited first major title, with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz eliminated last week.
“I played terribly,” a desolate Zverev told reporters. “I don’t remember my backhand, my most faithful shot and the one I am most known for, being this bad since I came on the circuit. At some point I did not know what to do,” said the German after the loss as many as 13 break chances to Fritz.
“Fritz absolutely deserved to win, I am not taking anything away from him, but I did not do anything to deserve to win,” he said. “It is the match I have been most disappointed and angry in a long time.”
On the other side of the draw, Italian Jannik Sinner will face Russian Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday, and Australian Alex de Minaur will face British Jack Draper.
Spanish Badosa Sinks
In the women’s category, American Emma Navarro opened fire by beating Spaniard Paula Badosa, who experienced a painful farewell to New York, the city where she was born.
Badosa, who was hoping to reach her first major semi-final, succumbed to the pressure and the brilliant play of Navarro, one of the sensations of this season.
The Spaniard, who has been reborn in her sporting form after a serious back injury, lost the first set 6-2 and the second 7-5 after having dominated it 1-5.
“I am very disappointed with my level. She played and handled the situation very well and I was a complete disaster,” lamented the former world number two.
In search of answers to her downfall, Badosa turned her attention to the anxiety problems she had suffered throughout her career.
“As soon as I stepped onto the court, I didn’t handle the situation and emotions well. I wanted to win so badly that sometimes it doesn’t help at all,” admitted Badosa, who left the court in a hurry after losing the last six games of the match.
“In the second set I was very uncomfortable, with a lot of negative phrases in my head, and there was a moment when I felt very small and the first thing I wanted to do was leave the court because, in the end, you become an ant,” said the 2021 Indian Wells winner.
In any case, Badosa, who was sinking to 140th place in the WTA in May, has secured her return to the top 20 with her victory in Washington, semi-finals in Cincinnati, and the second Grand Slam quarterfinal of her career.
Navarro, for her part, has made it into the top four of a major tournament for the first time and now wants to succeed her compatriot Coco Gauff, whom she dethroned in the round of 16.
