Carlos Alcaraz tops Frances Tiafoe in five sets to reach U.S. Open final

Carlos Alcaraz overcame an early deficit, cruised to an ostensibly comfortable lead, then halted Frances Tiafoe’s surging comeback to advance to the U.S. Open championship, winning Friday’s semifinal, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3.

The No. 3-ranked Spaniard climbed into the driver’s seat during the second set, breaking Tiafoe’s serve and initiating a run that lasted through the third set as Tiafoe faded midway through the match.

Tiafoe struggled with his first serve. He struggled to respond to Alcaraz’s offensive repertoire. But he found new life in a tightly contested fourth set, which the No. 22-ranked American wrenched from his opponent, setting a record for the most tiebreaker wins in a single U.S. Open (eight) in the process.