Frances Tiafoe and Madison Keys Propel American Hopes at U.S. Open Third Round

by Nicholas Edwards · 28/08/2024

Frances Tiafoe and Madison Keys advance to the third round of the U.S. Open, boosting American hopes with strong performances. Tiafoe will face compatriot Ben Shelton next.

Bollywood Fever: Big-hitting Frances Tiafoe and former finalist Madison Keys delivered impressive performances at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, securing their spots in the third round and boosting American hopes at the tournament.

Playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium, 14th seed Keys defeated Australia’s Maya Joint in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. Meanwhile, Tiafoe, who reached the semi-finals in New York in 2022, was in complete control when his opponent, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, retired after trailing 6-4, 6-1, 1-0.

Shevchenko, who had required the trainer’s assistance after the second set, abruptly called it quits, giving Tiafoe a stress-free path to the next round.

“Happy to get it done. Hate to win it that way but overall I thought I actually played pretty well today,” Tiafoe said after a match during which he changed shirts five times due to the intense conditions.

Frances Tiafoe and Madison Keys Propel American Hopes at U.S. Open Third Round

Tiafoe now faces an exciting clash against 21-year-old compatriot Ben Shelton, who also advanced in straight sets, defeating Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Shelton, who energized the home crowd last year with a spirited run to the semi-finals, served up 17 aces and hammered 60 winners in his victory. Reflecting on the upcoming match with Tiafoe, Shelton teased that it would be a “popcorn-type match.”

On the women’s side, Keys, making her 13th main-draw appearance at the U.S. Open, converted her third break-point opportunity for a 4-3 lead in the first set before cruising to a 62-minute victory. After adjusting her returns to apply more pressure, Keys dominated the second set, wrapping it up with ease. Up next for Keys is a match against 33rd-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens.

Despite the successes of Tiafoe and Keys, it wasn’t all good news for the American contingent at Flushing Meadows. Unseeded American Taylor Townsend was ousted by Spain’s 26th seed Paula Badosa, losing 6-3, 7-5.

Other Americans in action on Wednesday include defending champion and third seed Coco Gauff, who is set to open the night session on Ashe against unseeded German Tatjana Maria, and world number 12 Taylor Fritz, the highest-ranked American in the men’s draw, who will close the day’s play at Louis Armstrong Stadium against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

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