NEW YORK
\nFrances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down — and 3-0 down in the fifth set — to edge 22-year-old Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10\/6) and reach the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday. American 11th seed Tiafoe had all he could handle from his 22-year-old compatriot, who hadn\u2019t dropped a set in reaching the first Grand Slam quarter-final of his career.
\nBut in a match of swinging momentum shifts, Tiafoe battled back from 5-3 down in the third set and recovered an early break in the fifth to reach his third US Open semi-final in five years. Tiafoe clinched it in the 10-point match tiebreaker after four hours and 38 minutes, Michelsen weeping in the victor\u2019s arms as they met at the net.
\nTiafoe will face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton for a place in Sunday\u2019s championship match. Michelsen came out swinging on Arthur Ashe Stadium against an uncharacteristically passive Tiafoe, who usually feeds on the energy of the crowd.
\nBut when Michelsen found himself serving for the match at 5-4 in the third, his nerves betrayed him. Two double faults helped Tiafoe break back, and Tiafoe strung together seven straight games to close out the third set and seize control of the fourth. Michelsen, who has yet to win a title on the ATP Tour, responded with an early break in the fifth set, but Tiafoe refused to fold.
\n\u201cHe gave me some gifts, a couple of double faults there,\u201d Tiafoe said of his narrow escape in the third set. \u201cBut then I slowly started to get my rhythm there, snuck out third set and slowly started playing better and better.
\n\u201cBut he is a hell of a player,\u201d Tiafoe added. \u201cHe should have easily won today.\u201d
\nWhen he had completed the comeback Tiafoe flung his arms into the air, then consoled a weeping Michelsen at the net. \u201cI was like, man, I know, I\u2019ve been there,\u201d Tiafoe told ESPN. \u201cI know how much that hurts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down — and 3-0 down in the fifth set — to edge 22-year-old Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10\/6) and reach the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday. American 11th seed Tiafoe had all he could handle from his 22-year-old compatriot, who hadn\u2019t dropped a set […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566473,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-566464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n