Frances Tiafoe Erases Two-Set Deficit to Reach US Open Semi-Finals

Frances Tiafoe completed a dramatic comeback against fellow American Alex Michelsen to reach the US Open semi-finals, BBC Sport reported. The 11th seed recovered from two sets and a break down, then prevailed in a deciding tie-break for a 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Watch the highlights:

Michelsen controlled the opening half of the quarter-final. After the players exchanged early breaks, the world number 46 broke again at 6-5 to take the first set, in which he produced 15 winners to Tiafoe's four. His backhand remained influential in important moments as he won the second set and moved ahead by a break early in the third.

The match shifted when Michelsen served for a place in the semi-finals at 5-4 in the third set. The 22-year-old hit two double faults, allowing Tiafoe to break back. Tiafoe then closed out the set 7-5 and carried that momentum into the fourth, winning its first three games before ultimately forcing a decider.

Both players broke serve multiple times in the fifth set as momentum continued to change. Tiafoe, backed by the New York crowd, took control of the 10-point tie-break and won it 10-6. The match lasted four hours and 38 minutes and gave Tiafoe his fourth five-set victory at a Grand Slam during 2026.

Michelsen had arrived in the quarter-final without dropping a set in the tournament and was appearing in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time. He was in tears at the end before the two friends embraced at the net. Tiafoe acknowledged afterward that Michelsen had been close to winning and credited him for his performance.

The result sends the 28-year-old Tiafoe into his third US Open semi-final in five years. He previously lost at that stage to Carlos Alcaraz in 2022 and Taylor Fritz in 2024, and is still seeking his first final at Flushing Meadows. His next opponent will be either defending champion Alcaraz or American eighth seed Ben Shelton.