Frances Tiafoe was well on his way to another early US Open exit.
The 22-year-old American had won the first set against John Millman in their second-round match Thursday, but midway through the second set, the Australian took over. Millman won seven straight games and 10 of 11, dominating the third set to take a commanding 2-1 lead.
That’s when Tiafoe found a second level to ensure the longest stay of his career in Flushing.
With his back against the wall, Tiafoe turned on the afterburners and finished off a gutsy comeback win, 7-6, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. He advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open for the first time in his career, after suffering first-round exits in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and bowing out in the second round in each of the last two years.
“Played loose a couple of those games in the second but a horrible third set,” Tiafoe said. “It kind of ended up working for the better because I saved energy. … I gave it my all for [the last] two sets.” (NYPost)