The men’s final of the US Open has its opponents, after two simply incredible semifinals.
Carlos Alcaraz will face Casper Ruud, with the winner earning a winner’s prize of $ 2.6 million, a first Grand Slam title and number one on the world rankings.
The 19 year old Spaniard triumphed 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 over Frances Tiafoe to become the youngest men’s Grand Slam finalist since Rafael Nadal won the first of his 22 Grand Slams at the 2005 French Open. He could become the youngest ever world number one in the rankings era (since 1973).
Tiafoe saved a match point in the fourth set and went on to win the tiebreak, taking his tiebreak record to 8-0 in this tournament, an all-time record. But Alcaraz showed incredible fight and skill in the final set to book a spot in his first Grand Slam final after more than four hours on the pitch – and with his third consecutive five-set match.
Alcaraz said: “We are in a semi-final of a Grand Slam. We have to give everything we have inside, we have to fight until the last war. It doesn’t matter if we’re fighting for five hours, six hours, it doesn’t matter. We have to give everything on the pitch. Frances has given everything on the pitch, so it’s fantastic. “
Regarding the possibility of world number one ranking and the Grand Slam title, he said: “It’s great to be able to fight for great things. First time in a Grand Slam final. I can see the number one in the world, but at the same time it’s so far away. I have another one to play but against a player who plays incredibly … this is my first time. I will give everything I have ”.
23 year old Ruud from Norway defeated Russian Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in her semifinal.
It will be Ruud’s second Grand Slam final number seven in the world after finishing second behind Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June.
“This match today was another great match on my part. I think we were both a little nervous in the beginning, some pauses back and forth, ”Ruud said that he had never made it through the third round in New York before this year.
“You have to take into account that this match was probably the biggest for both of our careers and of course there will always be nerves.”
Tiafoe, the number 26 in the world, was running to become the first men’s finalist of the American Grand Slam since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
The son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, Tiafoe would also become the first African American champion in New York since Arthur Ashe in 1968.
But after beating three top 20 players to reach the semifinal, his dream ended in tears after his serve went wrong in the final set.
Tiafoe rejected the tears saying, “I gave everything I had. Too good from Carlos tonight. I gave everything I had, I gave everything I had in the last two weeks.
“Honestly, I came here with the desire to win the US Open. I feel like I’ve let you guys down.
“This really hurts, this really hurts.
“Too good from Carlos, you will win a lot of grand slams. You are a player from hell, a person from hell. I am happy to have shared the pitch with you on such a large stage.
“I’ll come back and win this one day. I’m sorry guys ”.
Ruud and Khachanov, who knocked out Nick Kyrgios in a five-set quarter-final, exchanged double breaks each in a poor opening set.
However, it ended in a terrific show when Ruud took the lead in a 55-stroke exchange to convert a third set point in the tiebreaker.
The Norwegian scored a double break in the third and fifth game of the second set, finishing it in just 33 minutes when Khachanov fired a long forehand.
Olympic silver medalist Khachanov responded, moving to two set points in the 12th match of the third set, reducing the match disadvantage as Ruud buried a lazy forehand in the net.
It was a brief setback, however, for Ruud who broke in the fourth set to take the lead 2-1, thanks to a precise forehand pass, and backed with another 4-1 break.
The Norwegian moved up to three match points and sealed the win thanks to a timed drop shot with Khachanov rooted at the back of the field.
“After Roland Garros, I was extremely happy but at the same time humble enough to think this might be my only Grand Slam final of my career,” Ruud said.
“They are not easy. So here I am a couple of months later: it seems beyond words to describe.
Khachanov described the 55-stroke demonstration that decided the opening set as “insane”.
“I’ve never played a point like this before, but I felt excited and in the game,” said the 26-year-old.
“It was a painful way to lose a set. I felt good afterwards, but a few games later … maybe not! ”
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