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Frances Tiafoe became the first American to qualify for the US Open semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006 when he got past Andrey Rublev 7-6(3), 7-6(0), 6-4 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.
The American outdid his opponent in two crucial tiebreaks and outmaneuvered him at the net to register his second win in the third meeting between the pair.
In his post-match press conference, the 24-year-old asserted that it meant a lot to him to be able to inspire people. He revealed that getting more people of color to play tennis was his aim and something he strove for.
"Every time I win, I just want to inspire a bunch of people to just know that you can -- I mean, anything is possible. For me do this and talk about how I feel about being in the US Open from my come-up is crazy. At the end of the day I love that because of Frances Tiafoe there is a lot of people of color playing tennis. That's obviously a goal for me. That's why I'm out here trying pretty hard," an emotional Tiafoe said.
"If you are truly, truly passionate about something, I think anything can happen" - Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe stressed the fact that anyone can achieve what they want provided they are passionate enough and disclosed that he was obsessed with playing tennis.
"I mean, anybody can do it, honestly. Obviously that's a cliché, but I think if you are really passionate about something. Everybody's got a gift. Just kind of just tapping into that, and really taking it seriously. If you are truly, truly passionate about something, I think anything can happen, and being just obsessed with it. I'm just really obsessed with tennis, and I want to see how far I can go with this thing," he stated.
The American, who beat Rublev at the US Open last year as well, said he was familiar with the Russian's game and got on pretty well with the ninth seed.
I played Andrey, you know, literally in the juniors here. We are pretty familiar with each other, get along great. I felt way comfortable coming out today than when I was playing Rafa. Like, uphill battle. Geez, can I get this done? Today I felt really comfortable and it showed in my performance," he disclosed.
The Maryland-born player will take on either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results
