American Frances Tiafoe scored the biggest win of her career, defeating Rafael Nadal 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the US Open on Tuesday at morning [AEST].
Nadal boasted an unbeaten 22-0 record at Grand Slams this year and was in a prime position to take Daniil Medvedev’s place at the top of the ATP rankings if he had advanced to the quarter-finals.
Instead, Tiafoe stunned the four-time champion to book a meeting with Andrey Rublev, who defeated Cam Norrie in straight sets earlier in the day.
“I don’t know what to say right now,” Tiafoe said after the game.
“I’m beyond happy, I’m almost crying, I can’t believe it. He has to be one of the greatest of all time. I played amazing tennis today, but… I don’t know what happened.”
Australian tennis great Todd Woodbridge described it as the “biggest win” of Tiafoe’s career, with Jelena Dokic praising the American for an “amazing” performance.
“He can’t believe it,” Woodbridge said.
“What a moment. Hear the crowd go wild. With the departure of Rafa Nadal, this tournament opens up in an incredible way. Now there are plenty of opportunities for the rest of the field.”
“He played an incredible game,” added Dokic.
“49 winners and only 28 unforced errors. He was dominant from the start and even when he adjusted a bit, going down a break in the fourth, he gave it his all. A big win and a big upset. The draw really opens now.”
Rafael Nadal was upset by Frances Tiafoe. Source: FOX SPORTS
Tiafoe, who has made the last 16 for the third straight year, won 12 of 16 first serve points as he hit 14 winners and nine unforced errors on his way to taking the first set 6-4.
It wasn’t unfamiliar territory for Nadal, however, as it was the third time in four US Open matches that he had lost the first set.
However, there was an early injury concern for Nadal, who limped off the court and took an eight-minute injury timeout between the end of the first set and the start of the second to record- on the wrist
The injury didn’t seem to slow Nadal down, but the Spaniard responded to take the second set 6-4, breaking Tiafoe for the first time.
The American, however, refused to go away and scored a crucial break in the third, making good use of the backhand to go up 4-3 before taking the set 6-4.
Frances Tiafoe got a big win. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Tiafoe won 15 of 26 first-serve points in the third set, while hitting 13 winners in Nadal’s set and firing five aces to the Spaniard’s two.
Nadal, who is 22-0 in Grand Slams this year, broke Tiafoe early to take the lead in the third as frustrations threatened to boil over for the American.
Tiafoe at one point received an audible obscenity warning for complaining about the roof closing while he was serving.
But he regained his composure and then broke back before saving two break points to level at 3-3 in the fourth set.
Nadal was in a good position to jump to the top spot in the ATP rankings after Medvedev’s loss to Nick Kyrgios on Monday.
Although his loss to Tiafoe now opens the door for either Carlos Alcaraz or Casper Ruud to move him up the rankings, depending on how far they go at this year’s US Open.
THE SILVER FRORE LIKE KYRGIOS, OUT OF KOKKINAKIS
Elsewhere, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis are out of contention in the men’s doubles, although Woodbridge believes it could be a blessing in disguise for the former.
The pair came up short against Finland’s Harri Heliovaara and Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool, with two sets going to a tiebreaker, the match ending 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (8/ 10).
While it was a disappointing result for the Australian duo, who led 8-6 in the tiebreaker, Woodbridge said it can help Kyrgios in the long run.
Kyrgios is through to the quarter-finals of the men’s singles competition and, with Nadal out, he has an even better chance of going all the way to his first Grand Slam title.
The Australians secured the break in the first to go 3-1 up in what commentator Mikey Perera described as an “early breakthrough” before taking the set 6-3.
The pair fell short in an 8-6 second-set tiebreaker with Kyrgios’ frustrations breaking his racket, earning him a warning from the chair umpire.
Heliovaara and Glasspool carried the momentum into the third set, breaking early as the energy drained from the crowd.
It looked like Kyrgios and Kokkinakis were destined for the exit ramp, until they suddenly found their groove again to break and bring the crowd into the match.
“There was a lack of atmosphere for seven games and suddenly it’s been taken up another level with a chance to rest,” Mark Woodforde said in a commentary.
“They never looked like they had that many chances, the two K’s, in that set. They’re having a little bit of a laugh though. It looked a little sour a few moments ago.”
“A couple of games ago they were sad faces, look at the smiles now,” added Perera.
The set would eventually go to another tiebreaker, with Kyrgios and Kokkinakis grabbing an early 2-0 cushion after a good lob shot from the former.
“That was picture perfect,” Perera said.
Heliovaara and Glasspool hit back, but Kyrgios was in the right place to find a return from the duo on the next point, holding a two-point lead.
Finland’s Harri Heliovaara and Great Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool strike. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFPSSource: AFP
A brilliant return from Heliovaara brought it back to 3-2 as the pair then served to put themselves in position, doing just that to put pressure back on the Australian duo.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis responded in a quick rally to break their opponents, but the back-and-forth nature of the tiebreaker continued, with the two duos trading points to level at 6-6.
“Somebody’s going to have to make their move,” Perera said, with the game in the balance.
That ended up being the Aussies, at least temporarily, with Kokkinakis hitting a forehand winner down the line before Kyrgios chipped it over the top to make it 8-6.
But, in keeping with the fast-paced nature of the match, Heliovaara and Glasspool rallied to win two consecutive points to draw level at 8-8.
“Kyrgios was surprised to lose his two points,” Perera said.
Heliovaara then hit it up the middle to split the two and set up match point before the Special Ks sent the ball out of the tournament.
In other news, Australian duo Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden were also eliminated by top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 6-7, 6-3, 3-6 in the round of 16.
PLISKOVA RESERVES HER PLACE IN THE FINAL EIGHT
Karolina Pliskova defeated Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka in three sets to reach the US Open quarter-finals.
The 22nd-seeded Czech, runner-up at the 2016 tournament and a quarter-finalist on three other occasions, sealed a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 victory at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The 30-year-old will face either American Danielle Collins or sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in Wednesday’s quarter-finals.
THE WORLD NUMBER ONE BEATS IN A BIG WAY THE FIRST ESP
Elsewhere, world number one Iga Swiatek became the first Polish woman to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open when she defeated Jule Niemeier in an error-prone encounter in the last 16.
French Open champion Swiatek recovered from a set down and a break down to beat her 108th-ranked German rival 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Top seed Swiatek will face American eighth seed Jessica Pegula for a place in the semifinals.
In an error-filled match on Louis Armstrong Court, there were a total of 15 double faults, 12 breaks of serve and 76 unforced errors.
“It’s really satisfying. This is my first quarterfinal in New York, so I’m really proud,” Swiatek said.
Wimbledon quarter-finalist Niemeier had not won a hard-court match in her career before coming to New York.
However, she entered Monday’s match without dropping a set and was gunning to repeat her trip to Wimbledon where she had also defeated world number two Anett Kontaveit.
Iga Swiatek celebrates defeating American Lauren Davis. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) Source: AFP
The 23-year-old from Dortmund swept the first leg with stops in the first and seventh games.
He held his nerve in an eight-minute second game of the second set, saving two break points.
Niemeier felt a shock victory when he broke for 2-1, but eventually Swiatek prevailed, taking a set that included seven breaks of serve in 10 games.
In the decider, the Pole raced to a 4-0 lead with the powerful Niemeier winning just five points.
Moments later, Swiatek completed the win with his 19th ‘bagel’ set of the season to clinch a place in a third Grand Slam quarter-final in 2022.
Swiatek said his success in 2022 has been helped by his rigid loyalty to his playlist that includes AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam.
“I’ve been listening to it all year and I’m so sick of it,” he said. “But I won’t change now.”
PEGULA CONTINUES THE AMERICAN CHARGE
Earlier, Pegula became only the second American woman to reach the quarterfinals of this year’s US Open after eliminating two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets.
The 28-year-old eighth seed shrugged off a rain delay on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to win 6-3, 6-2 and advance to the last 16 with world number one Swiatek .
Pegula, whose parents are the billionaire owners of the NFL franchise Buffalo Bills, was always in control against Czech veteran Kvitova, who had defeated Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in the third round.
Pegula scored a break to go up 4-3 in the first set after the rain delay and then held a 5-3 lead before breaking back for 6-3.
Kvitova looked to raise her game in the second set and was immediately broken before holding on for a 2-0 lead.
Jessica Pegula advances to the quarterfinals. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But Kvitova’s game fell apart after…