Frances Tiafoe ended up losing after he thought he was about to beat Taylor Fritz at the US Open

By HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press

Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, waves to fans after being defeated by Taylor Fritz, of the United States, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Seth Wenig]

NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Tiafoe figures he lost to Taylor Fritz at the U.S. Open because it suddenly occurred to him that he was close to winning and reaching his first Grand Slam final. Tiafoe came within two games of claiming a victory in his all-American semifinal at Flushing Meadows on Friday night. But he dealt with a mix of cramps and nerves that played a role in his winding up on the short end of the 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 result against Fritz. Tiafoe dropped six games in a row at one point as the match slipped away. It was his second five-set loss in a U.S. Open semifinal after falling short against Carlos Alcaraz two years ago.