From 1am and five sets to under two hours: Tiafoe reaches the second week again

Frances Tiafoe finished his first-round match shortly before 1am on Tuesday, having come back from two sets to one down against Martin Damm across nearly four hours. On Friday night he beat Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in under two hours, made 13 unforced errors and broke early in every set. He is into the fourth round of the US Open for the sixth time, and for the sixth time in seven years.

It was his 40th win of the season, and by his own assessment the best tennis he has played this fortnight.

“I returned well. It was nice to get relatively early breaks in every set,” the No. 11 seed said. “I only had 13 unforced. I served much better than I have been in the last recent matches, even matches in Cincinnati. It was the best I’ve played, for sure, in this event.”

He offered a mechanical explanation for the serve, while disclaiming any interest in mechanics. “I’m not a big technique guy. I was just in good rhythm, not rushing, not leaning forward, kind of going up and out rather than falling forward,” Tiafoe said. “That’s the biggest thing to get you in a good serving rhythm. It helps get matches in and out pretty quick.”

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The court Tiafoe keeps asking for, and why

The more revealing answer came when he was asked whether he had been requesting Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he has played and where he told the crowd on court that he would see them again.

“I may or may not have been doing that, yeah,” Tiafoe said. “I just enjoy it. I’ve won a lot of matches on Ashe, as well. I started there and kind of just kept going and I’ve really been enjoying it.”

Then he explained the preference, and it was not about the size of the court.

“Just great energy in there. A lot of talking, a lot of things going on. But it’s just good energy. They get behind me,” he said. “It’s nice, because there are no suites and stuff. I find that people are actually watching the tennis. And the grounds passes for guys. It’s cool. It’s a cool court.”

Medvedev is next, and he has not dropped one

The fourth round pairs Tiafoe with Daniil Medvedev, the No. 7 seed and the 2021 champion, in a match between two players whose fortnights have looked nothing alike and have arrived at the same place.

Medvedev came to New York having won one match since Wimbledon, having lost in the first round at Winston-Salem to a wild card, and having told reporters he had been half-seriously contemplating a switch to pickleball. He has since won three matches without losing a set, and says he has been broken once in the tournament.

Tiafoe has played nearly four hours more tennis than that and reached the same round. He was asked whether he is managing any physical problems and would not go further than acknowledging them.

“Just trying to win,” he said. “Just trying to win in a quicker fashion, I guess. I’ve got to run, man. No way around it. I’ve got to run a lot when I play. Just trying to win maybe not in five sets, in such long matches. That will help you out.”

He has been to the semi-finals here twice. On Friday he found the shortest route he has taken all week.