Tiafoe becomes first American to advance to US Open semifinal in 16 years

On Wednesday, Francis Tiafoe made history by reaching the US Open men's semifinals at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

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According to Today, the 24-year-old tennis player is the first Black American male to reach the semifinals since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Tiafoe is also the first American male to make it to the semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006. Roddick, who retired in 2012, was present to see Tiafoe's victory.

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Tiafoe was lively and energetic throughout his strong performance against Russia's Andrey Rublev, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-0), 6-4.

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Tiafoe will meet Carlos Alcaraz — the fourth-ranked player in the world — for that match on Friday in New York City.

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