US Open 2024: Frances Tiafoe battles past Alexei Popyrin into final eight

American Frances Tiafoe reached the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open for a third successive year on Sunday after beating Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3.

Tiafoe is aiming to snap a 21-year U.S. drought in the men’s majors but he had to dig deep to hold off the hard-hitting Popyrin, feeding off the energy of the home crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium where he dreamed of playing as a child.

Australian Popyrin was fresh off the biggest win of his career after beating defending champion Djokovic in the third round and while he fired down 24 aces he also coughed up nine double faults and had some costly unforced errors.

Tiafoe thanked the fans at Arthur Ashe for their support.

“(This court) brings out the best in me and you guys are unbelievable fans. Without you guys, it wouldn’t have happened,” he said.

Tiafoe fended off two break points in the fourth game and broke the Australian from the baseline in the ninth in a superb opening set.

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Popyrin built up momentum early in the second set, holding his serve in a five-deuce third game before converting on break point with a perfectly placed drop shot in the fourth.

But after the Australian handed Tiafoe a break with a double fault, the American sprinted through the tiebreak with a red-hot forehand.

Popyrin broke to love in the third game of the third set and got a two-break lead with a backhand winner in the seventh before closing out the frame.

The Australian, who won the Canadian Open last month, then ran out of steam and handed Tiafoe a break with a double fault in the sixth game of the final set.

Tiafoe clinched it on the third match point with a forehand winner that just kissed the line and he flexed his muscles to the cheering home crowd in celebration.

Tiafoe next plays Bulgarian ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals.