Tennis at the US Open – Semi-final drama: Fritz celebrates, Draper talks about fears – Sport

New York (dpa) – In the end, Taylor Fritz was overcome by emotion. With a shaky voice, the US tennis pro spoke the sentence that the American fans had been waiting for so long, to the cheers of the spectators. “I’m in the final of the US Open,” said the 26-year-old, fighting back tears. “That’s why I do what I do. A dream come true.”

The 26-year-old quarter-final conqueror of Alexander Zverev won a nerve-wracking thriller against Frances Tiafoe with 4:6, 7:5, 4:6, 6:4, 6:1 and is in a Grand Slam final for the first time in his career.

Successor to Roddick?

Fritz will challenge world number one Jannik Sinner in New York on Sunday. He has the chance to become the first American tennis player to win the US Open since Andy Roddick 21 years ago. Roddick last reached the final at his home tournament in 2006.

It was only when the interviewer on the pitch asked him about his performance that he finally realized it, Fritz reported in the early morning press conference. “It simply overwhelmed me,” he said, joking about his feelings: “I also tend to cry at happy endings in films.”

Tiafoe: Will “hurt a lot, a lot”

At the net, he patted his chest after his US colleague converted the match point and tried to cheer Tiafoe up. Deeply disappointed, Tiafoe left Arthur Ashe Stadium shirtless. The 26-year-old had already imagined victory, he said, until he lost his nerve and ran out of energy in the middle of the fourth set.

“This is very, very hard. “It’s going to hurt very, very much,” Tiafoe said of the defeat. He had already lost his first US Open semifinal in 2022 against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.

Sinner worries about his wrist

The fans were more on the side of the more spectacular Tiafoe – but in the end they cheered frenetically for Fritz. Australian Open winner Sinner will also be in this mood in his second Grand Slam final. “The atmosphere is what it is.” “We are in America, I am playing against an American in New York,” said the South Tyrolean.

The 23-year-old had to survive a moment of shock during his 7:5, 7:6 (7:3), 6:2 win against underdog Jack Draper. At 4:4 in the second set, he fell on his left wrist and was treated on the bench. “We’ll have to see how it is tomorrow when it’s colder,” said Sinner. “It will be different. Hopefully there’s nothing I have to worry about.”

Draper vomits on the pitch

Curiously, the physiotherapist had to come into the arena for both players at the same time. Sinner’s opponent Draper vomited four times during the party on the court and was still pale in the face more than half an hour after the semi-final drama had ended. He spoke remarkably openly about his fears in big games.

“It was the worst feeling ever,” said the 22-year-old after the most important match of his career so far. He was more nervous than normal. “I’m an anxious person. When everything comes together, I feel a bit nauseous on the court and feel bad when things get tight.”

For two sets, the underdog held his own against the world’s number one offender, surprisingly well. But at 5:5 in the first set, Draper was overcome by an unhealthy feeling. In the second set, he vomited several times and then cleaned the court himself with a towel. In the humid conditions, he tried to get colder air from a hose during the change of ends by wrapping ice towels around his neck and thighs.

Encouragement from Sinner

“I use a lot of mental energy when I want it so badly.” But that doesn’t help, especially in five-set matches, and that kind of fear builds up,” Draper said about his inner life. Completely weakened, the world number 25 saw the chance of a coup against Sünder slipping away.

Draper received sympathy from his good friend, whom he has known since his youth. “Semifinals at a Grand Slam are something different. “You feel a lot of tension,” said Sinner. It will be no different for him in the final.

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