New York, Sept 7: Taylor Fritz is now just one win away from ending the United States’ 21-year drought for a male Grand Slam singles champion. 

The 12th seed fought back to defeat his close friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Friday, advancing to his first major final at the US Open.  

The last American male to win a Grand Slam was Andy Roddick, who triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Now, Fritz will face top seed Jannik Sinner Sunday for a shot at the title.

Fritz, 26, had a challenging road to the final, coming into the tournament with just one win from the ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, as per ATP. But he made history as the first American male to reach a Grand Slam final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.

The match against Tiafoe was a rollercoaster, with Fritz struggling to control the baseline rallies. Tiafoe, energised by the New York crowd and determined to make his own mark, appeared to be in control after taking the third set. However, Fritz stayed composed and broke Tiafoe late in the fourth set to force a decider.

In the fifth set, Fritz quickly took charge, securing an early break. Although he briefly let a double-break advantage slip, he regained his focus and won 25 of the final 34 points to claim victory in three hours and 18 minutes. "I just told myself to stay in it and apply scoreboard pressure as much as possible," Fritz said.

Fritz, the son of former professional tennis players Kathy May and Guy Fritz, reflected on the magnitude of the moment. "It's the reason I do what I do, the reason I work so hard. I'm in the finals of the US Open," he said, tearing up. "It’s a dream come true, and I’m going to give it everything I have."

Having defeated two-time ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, Fritz is riding high on confidence. He will look to earn his first Grand Slam title on Sunday in New York, where he hopes to make history and end the long wait for an American champion.

(IANS)

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