Frances Tiafoe advanced to the U.S. Open semifinals for the third time in five years after staging a remarkable comeback against 22-year-old Alex Michelsen. Tiafoe, the eleventh seed, overcame a deficit of two sets and a break to ultimately win the quarterfinal match 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) after nearly five hours of play.
Michelsen, ranked world No. 46, held a significant advantage for the first half of the match and was serving for the victory in the third set at 5-3. However, Tiafoe found his rhythm, battling back to take the third set and building momentum throughout the final two sets. The deciding set featured multiple service breaks and shifts in momentum before Tiafoe secured the victory in a ten-point tiebreak.
"In the end I slowly started to get my rhythm. Snuck out that third set and got better and better," Tiafoe said after the match. "He's a hell of a player and he easily could have won today. Shout out to Alex Michelsen."
Tiafoe, 28, will face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or eighth-seed Ben Shelton in the semifinals. Michelsen, competing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, was visibly emotional after the grueling match, embracing Tiafoe at the net.