By Rory Carroll
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz ended Frances Tiafoe’s dream run at the U.S. Open with a 6-7(6) 6-3 6-1 6-7(5) 6-3 win to reach his first major final, where he will face Casper Ruud with the world number one ranking on the line.
Despite playing into the early morning hours in his previous two five-set matches, the 19-year-old showed no signs of fatigue on Friday. He fell on his back and covered his face with his hands after winning the hard-fought battle.
If he can beat Ruud, Alcaraz would become the youngest man to be world number one, breaking the mark set by Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20 when he became the world’s top ranked player in 2001.
The win ends Big Foe’s run at the tournament, where his unlikely success and uniquely American life story captivated fans and brought out luminaries including former first lady Michelle Obama to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in New York; Editing by William Mallard)
