Tiafoe Survives Early Challenge at U.S. Open

Frances Tiafoe’s journey at the U.S. Open almost came to an unexpected halt against fellow American, Martin Damm Jr.

In a match where only one of them could advance in the quest to end the long wait for an American man to claim a Grand Slam title, Tiafoe fought back from two sets to one down. He managed to secure a victory with scores of 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Damm, who is from Florida.

“You know, tennis is tennis, and playing here in New York—it’s just special,” Tiafoe remarked during his on-court interview. “What a wild match. His serve was impressive. … In those last two sets, I just focused on being tough. I’ve had some matches this year that I really shouldn’t have won.”

Tiafoe started strong, holding his serve well in the opening set and giving Damm little chance to strike back. After an exhausting run to the Cincinnati Open final just weeks prior, where he dealt with significant fatigue and painful cramps, Tiafoe seemed to manage the physical toll of this match adequately.

However, Damm, responding well, produced seven aces to level the match at one set each.

Things became precarious for Tiafoe in the third set as he struggled with his serve, recording four double faults in that set alone, contributing to a total of six for the match.

The tension peaked during the final game of the third set. Tiafoe was unable to convert any of his four break points and found himself at deuce against Damm seven times before ultimately losing the set. Damm needed four set points before securing the lead at 2-1.

With the audience rallying behind him, Tiafoe elevated his game in the final two sets, avoiding an early exit from Flushing for the first time since 2017. He excelled on his return, successfully converting three of his nine break points, which allowed him to pull ahead of Damm.

Now, Tiafoe, who has yet to advance beyond the semifinals at the U.S. Open, is set to meet Japan’s Rei Sakamoto in the second round.