Frances Tiafoe was a wild card entry into the Western And Southern Open. The American didn't have particularly high hopes for the tournament, but when it came to rising to the occasion and taking advantage of a situation, Tiafoe managed to perform to the highest of his abilities.
In what is the biggest win of career so far, and the American Frances Tiafoe defeated world number 7, Alexander Zverev, in three tough sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Frances managed to use his fresh condition and abundance of energy to keep Zverev on the court for a long time and wear the world number 7 out.
'He has to be tired' said Tiafoe
Tiafoe had lost to Alexander Zverev twice before and was not exactly the most confident about whether he would be able to defeat Zverev. However, Frances decided to look at the bigger picture and realize that Alexander's game relies heavily on physical fitness and movement since he stands so far behind the baseline and hits with so much power.
Tiafoe would say in an interview that his strategy was to just keep Zverev 'out there', on the court, because after two straight tournament wins 'has to be tired.' Zverev would run out of steam after winning the first set. While he would continue to go for his big shots and try to be aggressive, he would be unable to hold the level of consistency needed to win the match as his physical strength deteriorated.
From the second set onward, Frances Tiafoe would win the points not because he was playing amazing, but because he had defeated Zverev physically, and to a certain point, mentally.
Tiafoe would go up 3-0 in the second set, and after winning the match, he will face John Isner in the third round of the Western and Southern Open.
'We grew up together playing junior Grand Slams'
Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe have known each other for quite some time. According to ATP world tour news, Tiafoe said that he and Alexander 'grew up together playing junior Grand Slams' and that he had known him 'for forever.'
Even though Alexander has lost his winning streak, he is still confident that he will do well at the US Open.
Zverev has had some amazing results on hard courts this season, defeating Roger Federer in the final of Montreal, and proving that he plays at a level that rivals that of players who have been on tour for quite some time.
Things are looking up for the up and coming tennis star. With the US Open beginning on the 28th of August, Alexander Zverev may just be able to 'wow' us all.
