By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Frances Tiafoe took his love affair with the home fans to another level in the U.S. Open fourth round on Sunday, besting Daniil Medvedev in a highlight-reel worthy display as he bids to end an American men’s Grand Slam drought.
The magnetic showman was showered with deafening cheers throughout his victory over Medvedev, a player who had the upper hand in six of their previous seven encounters.
After a performance showcasing his charisma and versatility, Tiafoe said the energy from the crowd had lifted him to another plane.
“It’s an out-of-body experience, no question. No real explaining that type of feeling,” he added.
“It’s like you’re not even touching the ground at one point. Energy is so high, and it seems like the level of play matches that.”
It was his 10th win in as many appearances at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which has grown in the esteem of the sport’s diehard fans this year amid an influencer influx in the stands at the showpiece Arthur Ashe.
“Armstrong is crazy,” said Tiafoe, who is bidding to become the first U.S. man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph at Flushing Meadows.
“It’s just an energy thing. You know, courts, dimensions, everything is the same on every court. Energy is insane. I kept requesting it.
“More and more I can enjoy myself and have fun, it seems like I can bring my best stuff out, and that’s kind of what that is.”
PLAY TO WIN
Tiafoe has had the New York fans in the palm of his hand since he beat Rafa Nadal during his extraordinary run to the semi-finals in 2022.
Four years later, and with another semi-final berth under his belt from 2024, it would be no great surprise if he makes another deep run at the final Grand Slam of the year.
“I’ve been showing up every week. It shows,” he said. “With my game, it’s just play to win. You know, play aggressive, use my whole arsenal at the right time. It’s been working well.”
It has not all been plain sailing. He retired mid-match in Montreal last month and underwent surgery to have a cyst removed from his dominant hand.
In testament to his resiliency, he reached the Cincinnati final just weeks later.
“You just have to keep going. Life is going to hit you. It’s not always peaches and cream every day,” he told reporters. “You have to get yourself up, talk to the man in the mirror, and continue to go.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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