Frances Tiafoe veut faire le show à la maison et fait même mieux que ça. L'Américain, toujours surmotivé à l'US Open, disputait mardi son troisième quart de suite à New-York, après un quart en 2023 et une demi-finale en 2022. Le joueur de 26 ans est allé chercher une nouvelle demie en dominant sur abandon Grigor Dimitrov, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-1. Le Bulgare, qui avait joué cinq manches contre Andrey Rublev, a ressenti une douleur aux ischios en fin de troisième set. Une gêne trop importante pour pouvoir continuer et briller. Tiafoe jouera lui sa deuxième demi-finale en Grand Chelem et aura une belle opportunité de décrocher sa première finale. Le rêve est permis contre Taylor Fritz, même si ce dernier mène 6-1 contre Tiafoe.
Vidéo : @USOpen
Vidéo : @USOpen
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00:00Yeah, I mean definitely an abrupt ending, but I thought the level was really high there
00:10for two and a half sets, three sets, whatever the case may be, really, really high.
00:16I thought my game plan was perfect, let him in there in a second a little bit, but I thought
00:23I just kept going.
00:24I thought I applied pressure really well.
00:25I thought I played well.
00:26The only thing, sure, again, it just wasn't where I wanted to be, really, really, really
00:32packed.
00:33He gave me a lot of second server looks, but I just got to do better on that front, but
00:36everything else, I returned great.
00:37I moved really well in the night, and I made him earn a lot of points, which is great.
00:43Ultimately, man, can't be too, I mean, I don't really have that much to say, so we're happy
00:50to be in another semi.
00:52One question each.
00:53Jake.
00:55Hey, Francis, congrats on the win.
01:00I know you were asked the other night about playing against Roger earlier in your career,
01:04but having him in the stance tonight, what does that mean to you, and how much does that
01:08sort of inspire you on the court?
01:11Yeah, I mean, that was pretty sick.
01:13Obviously, I mean, to be honest, I wasn't thinking about it that much, like more pumped
01:18for Kevin Hartstead and Roger, honestly, but, you know, the last couple of years of
01:25Labor Cup, you kind of get used to that, like seeing him in the stands, so, but yeah, like
01:32when they show him, you're like, man, this dude was different, man, winning five years
01:36in a row, like the guy was, you know, and the way he looked in the suites is the same
01:42way he looked when he was playing, no sweating, you know, teased, like ironed, like perfect,
01:47like it's just like, man, what's up with this dude, man, and so hair perfect, so it
01:52was just funny, man, I give him crap about that all the time, but what a guy, man, what
01:55a legend, it's so nice that he's just enjoying his life and doing his things, like just popping
01:59in wherever he kind of wants to, and everyone embraces him, unbelievable, wherever he goes,
02:04I mean, he's such an icon, so ultimately, it was pretty dope, but seeing Kevin Hart
02:09was sick, honestly.
02:12Matt.
02:13Hey, Francis, well done.
02:16So this journey, I mean, you've been in here for a couple weeks and like, you know, saying
02:21you believed in yourself, when did you really start to believe that this thing was, it was
02:27possible to get where you are now and maybe go even further?
02:33I mean, since I landed in New York, I mean, obviously, I just came from Fontana, Cincinnati,
02:39so you know, I'm coming here feeling pretty good, you know, like it always helps going
02:46to a place where you've had great success, but I mean, to be honest with you, I wasn't
02:51really thinking, you know, make a Sammy, like, you know, win the event, I sold a jaw, and
02:58I was just like, man, I got to put Ben, you know, I'm not that high seed like I was before,
03:04you know, so I don't know where I'm going to sit at, and I'm like, you know, playing
03:06bands, and some of you are going to look past, sorry, and then once I kind of got through
03:11that, you know, you need, it all shakes up, and then you're kind of like, well, why not?
03:16So, but I can sit with day by day, and now, you know, my feet are in the semi, so it is
03:23what it is.
03:24In the back.
03:25Congrats, Francis.
03:26So it's yet another U.S. hardcourt swing where you're having really good results here at
03:32the Open.
03:33Is there something you've learned at this point about this time of the year that you
03:37want to kind of bottle up and use for the rest of your season, or that's your mind
03:41set?
03:42Yeah.
03:43For August.
03:44No, man, it's too hard to replicate, man, like, it's too hard to replicate, like, I'll
03:53never be excited to play in the States than I would play, than I would be to play, like,
03:57in Madrid.
03:58That's just not happening.
03:59Like, the only place outside of the States where I feel really, really good to play is
04:03in Wimbledon, Queens, you know, on the grass where it's, like, really fun to play, and,
04:09you know, they really embrace me a lot.
04:10Out there, it's just too hard, man.
04:13I mean, you see when you're out here playing, there's a madness out here.
04:16It's just like, what's going on, bro?
04:18It's crazy.
04:19It's too hard to replicate, and you get so excited, watch it as a kid, but, you know,
04:24I'm just really focused, man.
04:25I'm locked in, but I'm having fun, not putting so much pressure on myself.
04:30I'm kind of just going in and battling, and I've been producing some really nice stuff,
04:36but yeah, you know, it's almost like a joke that Francis wakes up in August.
04:40So we'll see.
04:41We'll see how my career goes going forward with that.
04:44Chris.
04:45Francis, congrats.
04:46Chris Otto with US Open.
04:48I know it's going to be a war on Friday with you and Taylor, and I know you're focused
04:53individually on what you want to get out of this tournament, but I wonder if there's any
04:57satisfaction to the fact that we've got the first American male Grand Slam finalist since
05:022009 and here since 2006, that your group has collectively produced that.
05:07Yeah, me, Taylor, Tommy, Riley, you know, we've spoken about it for a year.
05:13This is the group.
05:15This is the group, and, you know, we openly speak about it.
05:17I think, you know, we've all been knocking on doors, you know, Taylor's, I mean, been
05:23in and out of the top 10, you know, top 15, you know, myself, I was top 10 this time last
05:29year.
05:30You know, Tommy's knocking on the door, Quarters playing great, Ben, so Ben, like, it's only
05:34a matter of time.
05:35You know, putting yourself in positions, like, it's only a matter of time, and the game is
05:39open.
05:40It's not like it once was, where, you know, you make a quarter final, you play Rafa, and
05:45it's like, you're looking at floods.
05:46Now it's like, I mean, I mean, now, I mean, I mean, that's just the reality.
05:53Now it's just totally different, like, you know, and no one's unbeatable, especially
06:00later in the season, where, you know, guys are maybe a little bit cooked, you know, just,
06:06you know, maybe just not as fresh, and, you know, they're vulnerable, so, yeah, it's pretty
06:11exciting.
06:12First potential time, well, first time since 09, and, you know, hopefully it's me.
06:19Howard.
06:20Francis, do you remember the first time you met Taylor, or the first time you played him,
06:28and do you remember also the first time you guys might have, whether it was the two of
06:33you or the rest of this group, some of whom you just mentioned, that you guys might have
06:38joked about or seriously talked about doing this, getting to these stages of these tournaments
06:45together, maybe even?
06:46No, I mean, it's not like a, it's not like a little, like, sit down, like, intervention
06:50kind of thing.
06:51It's just, like, more like, I mean.
06:52I mean, it's.
06:53I mean, even, like, as kids, when you first started knowing each other.
06:58Yeah, I mean, definitely not as kids, because you just, I mean, you don't know what making
07:02is like when you're, like, 12, 13.
07:04When I first met him, I mean, Taylor was, I mean, he was an odd cat, he was a different
07:09cat, like, of a dude.
07:13I mean, I definitely wasn't thinking he was going to do what he's done.
07:15He's changed his body, like, unbelievable, you know, like, he was like a, he's just really
07:22talented.
07:23Like, he was, like, a part-time blur.
07:24He played, like, a couple times a week at a courier's house.
07:26He wasn't like a, I mean, he'll tell you, like, he wasn't, he went to normal high school,
07:30like, he was just a normal kid while we're, you know, out there running, and then he started
07:35putting more time into it, but yeah, man, he was funny, man, when we were younger, but
07:44I think as we got closer to it, like, you know, seeing how committed he is and how much
07:50he wanted it, once we all kind of turned pro, like, we all just, like, pushed each
07:53other to kind of want to be great, you know, sometimes unspoken, sometimes you speak about
07:59it, but, you know, nobody wants to leave each other, you know, behind, and it's been a special
08:05thing to be a part of.
08:06Ava?
08:07Francis, you've got a 1-6 record against Taylor, but I'm guessing the way you're talking about
08:14it, the way you're playing right now, you've never played each other at the U.S. Open,
08:18you're assuming things might be completely different this time, how do you approach a
08:21match like that?
08:22Like, do you take any of those prior matches into it, or is it just such a different situation?
08:27It's different on Ash, man, it's different, obviously, you know, to learn from those,
08:38you know, a couple of those, I mean, a couple of those I thought I actually should've won,
08:42but you know, I mean, he's tough, man, he's a tough player, like, he plays great from
08:47both sides, he's got a great serve, he's moving much better now, but I mean, it's going
08:51to be tough, I mean, it's going to be a big moment for both of us to play for a final,
08:55I mean, I don't think those matches are anywhere near what this match would be, so it's kind
08:59of tough to, you know, even go from there, like, playing a chorus of Acapulco 500 and
09:04playing semis with Arthur Ash at night, it's going to be, well, hopefully at night, a little
09:08different, it's a little different, so, you know, I mean, it's going to be interesting,
09:16I mean, we'll see what happens.
09:18All right, I have time for two more, young lady right there, and then Molly.
09:22Hi, Lucy, Blackspin Global, you've been asked a lot and all the other American players about
09:28the rise of American players, but how does it feel to have the rise of also African-American
09:34players and other black players from other countries, and also, does that motivate you
09:40or give you more pressure, especially that you're one of the first to break through a
09:45lot of, like, the stuff, for example, the semifinals, it's not your first time, you've
09:48done it about two years ago, so, yeah.
09:52Yeah, it's great, man, it's great, like, you see, like, you know, especially for me in
09:55my area, I mean, I see Hayley here, you know, she should have qualified, Robin, you know,
10:01Montgomery, you have this Italian-American girl, Grant or something like that, I've seen
10:06her around.
10:07Tyra Grant.
10:08Tyra Grant.
10:09Tyra Grant, yeah.
10:10Yeah, it's pretty cool, you see, Matt Forbes, you know, won Kalamazoo, he played in the
10:18main draw here, he had a funny celebration I saw on Instagram, the young dudes are different
10:24nowadays, but, yeah, man, I mean, it's cool, man, it's cool, and when those guys, you know,
10:31see me, you know, they see me as, you know, like a role model, you know, a guy that, you
10:35know, I aspire to be, and that's a pretty cool seat to be in, obviously, as you guys
10:40know, I'm not a guy that takes himself too serious by any means, so it's funny, you know,
10:45being in that seat, but at the same time, you know, you got a responsibility to do when
10:48you're out there, you know, compete and enjoy, and because things you do, you know, those
10:53kids are going to mimic, and, you know, want to be, want to be how you carry yourself,
10:56how you approach the game, you know, how you compete, what you do out there, things you
11:00say in interviews, they're going to want to mimic that and, you know, and be like that,
11:04so it's great, and then from a big picture standpoint, you know, I mean, I got, you know,
11:10so many people that would never watch tennis a day in their life coming to matches because,
11:14you know, I'm playing, you know, you've seen so many cool people come out to watch, I guess
11:20normal people that would just never really watch tennis and now are like fans of it because
11:26I'm playing, it means a lot, and it's helping the game, and I generally think when I'm playing
11:31well, it helps the sport, for sure.
11:33Willie, final question.
11:34You spoke a bit about the way Taylor was as a kid.
11:38What do you consider now to be the biggest differences between you as players and as
11:44personalities?
11:45I mean, as personalities, you can't meet two different, more extreme, like, it's extreme.
11:53He's like a, you know, I mean, he's a video game, never leaves the room, you know, like,
12:00gives a goofball, and I'm like, you know, loud and obnoxious at times, and, but he's
12:07also very funny.
12:08Like, he's got that, like, you know, dry humor, smart ass, but at the same time, but that's
12:15why we like each other, because we're so different, and that's why we get along so well, and then
12:20as competitors, we're very, like, hate to lose, you know, and we battle hard, and, but
12:29I mean, personalities, we're very different, but it's funny, it's funny to see our relationship
12:34of how we've gotten, you know, older, I mean, we've, Taylor and I have had conversations
12:39about, you know, being one and two Americans for a very long time.
12:42I remember we were sitting in a plane, like, ten years ago, and, you know, he was, I mean,
12:47he's a, he's a pretty, like, to himself dude, and he's like, bro, I think me and you, you
12:50know, are gonna be one and two Americans, and lead in the way.
12:54Come from him.
12:55And I was like, yo, dang, dude, like, 6 a.m., I'm pretty tired, but I was like, yo, let's
12:59do it, like, why not?
13:01So, you know, and he's kind of had that mindset, and he's pushed me a lot, you know what I
13:06mean?
13:07Even times I'm playing really bad, or whatever case may be, or I'm like, and he's, you know,
13:11he's doing it, or vice versa, like, he's, I think we've kind of always really pushed
13:15each other, and now I think it's great that we get to compete against each other in such
13:19a big match, and, you know, I'm happy for him, I know he's happy for me, so, let the
13:24best man win, come Friday, man, it's gonna be, it's gonna be epic, so, you know, get
13:28your popcorn, do what you gotta do.
13:30It's gonna be a fun one, come Friday.