Tiafoe Secures First Ever US Open Win

August 28, 2018 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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American Frances Tiafoe notched his first ever win in the US Open main draw as he hung on to upset No. 29 seed Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 as the afternoon turned to evening at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Tuesday.

“Unbelievable. I’ve had a ton of heartbreakers here at the [US] Open and it’s nice to finally get over the line,” said Tiafoe. “I’m definitely trying to make something happen this year, I’m having a good year, and there’s no better place to do it than New York.”

It was Tiafoe’s fourth try at an opening round win in New York, and much different than the one he played last year, a five-set defeat under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium against Roger Federer. But the 20-year-old is now into the second round for the first time, and will face Australian Alex de Minaur.

Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic overcame a lapse midway through the match to move through in four sets against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. Djokovic won the last 10 games of the match from 2-4 down in the third set to book his spot in the second round 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

“It was a tough one. We both struggled,” said Djokovic. “We were not the only ones today. Obviously you had almost 10 retirements in the men’s draw. Brutal conditions. But it is what it is. You have to kind of deal with it. I had to find a way to dig myself out of trouble.”

The No. 6 seed Djokovic will take on American Tennys Sandgren, who earlier in the day knocked out Viktor Troicki in straight sets.

Opening up the night session inside Ashe was Roger Federer who breezed to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. Federer hit 56 winners in the one hour and 52 minute victory, his 18th straight win the US Open first round.

Federer moves on to play Frenchman Benoit Paire, who got past Denis Novak 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5).

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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