Tiafoe ousts Djokovic-conqueror Popyrin to reach US Open QFs | ATP Tour

Match Report

Tiafoe ousts Djokovic-conqueror Popyrin to reach US Open QFs

American faces Dimitrov next

September 02, 2024

Frances Tiafoe rising to the occasion at the US Open has become an annual tradition. The final major of the 2024 season has proven no different.

The 20th seed advanced to the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for a third consecutive year on Sunday evening when he defeated 28th seed Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 in three hours and two minutes. The home favourite will play ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the last eight.

“I always dreamt about playing on this court [since I was] a kid. I used to hit against the wall and wanted to compete on this court,” Tiafoe said in his on-court interview. “Seeing the Williams sisters win titles here, seeing Roger win here a million times, I was like ‘I just want to play on this court’. It’s so iconic, obviously named after Arthur Ashe, so I wanted to be a part of that. I think it brings out the best of me.” 

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Tiafoe arrived in Cincinnati with a 19-18 tour-level record this season. Since then he has won nine of 10 matches, including a run to his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Ohio and now his fourth major quarter-final.

The match was a lot closer than the scoreline indicates. Popyrin, who stunned 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the third round, led the second set 5-2 and earned three set points on serve at 5-3, 40/0 before his second serve let him down in the ensuing tie-break. He hit eight double faults in the match.

“He was serving 5-3, 40/0. I was like, ‘Well I’m pretty sweaty, I’m sweating through my shoes. I’m about to go and change and try to win this thing in four’,” Tiafoe said. “I won a point, won another point. I was like, ‘Ooh’. He gave me one. I was like, ‘Don’t let me get two’. And then I was like, ‘Don’t let me get three’. And then I was like, ‘I might as well break now’. I got pretty lucky there, honestly.”

The Australian, who claimed his maiden Masters 1000 title in Montreal, battled back in the third set to keep the match alive. But Tiafoe played clean tennis throughout — making just 17 unforced errors — to shrink his opponent’s margin for error.

Tiafoe loves the spotlight and he once again used the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to help push past a challenging opponent, whom he had never previously faced in a match. Early in the second-set tie-break, the 2022 semi-finalist hit a forehand passing shot and immediately pointed to the fans like a showman.

Popyrin, who was competing in the fourth round of a major for the first time, double-faulted to lose serve in the fourth set. He had a tremendous look at a forehand passing shot inside the court to get back on serve when Tiafoe served for the match, but missed into the net.

Tiafoe’s next opponent, Dimitov, eliminated sixth seed Andrey Rublev earlier in the day. The Bulgarian leads Tiafoe 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, but they have played just once since 2019.

“Obviously he’s so talented. He’s been one of the most talented players for a very, very long time,” Tiafoe said. “He’s playing great in the later stages of his career and he’s starting to find great form again. So it’s going to be really, really tough. He can hit all the shots. I’m going to make him fight for it and earn it and I’m sure he is, too. I hope you guys are with me there as well.”