SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Frances Tiafue appeared very upset. He had just defeated 2nd-ranked legend Rafael Nadal, 6-4, in the opening set Monday of their United States Tennis Open quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows.
So when he didn’t see the 35-year-old Nadal line up for set two, he took off his shirt, sat down and was told that the Spaniard had requested his trainer and the two took off for his locker room. When he ran back on the court well beyond the limit allowed, he had even changed his tennis outfit.
Tiafue kind of shrugged it off, then served first and won the point with the help of a pair of aces. But Nadal, who spent most of the match at filled Louis Armstrong he Stadium adjusting his pants, wiping the sweat off his forehead in what was a high temperature match, jumping up and down, and he always let you know when he was angry.
So, with the 24-year-old Tiafue on pace for his masterpiece career win over an opponent who had won 22 Grand Slams and had appeared in 28-straight major tournaments without ever losing a first set, he pieced together a stellar plan to upset Nadal’s experience and talent.
But Nadal did turn it up to claim the second set, 6-4, behind some key forehands and net point, expect he kept double-faulting on first serves.
No matter, it was all even at two sets and Tiafue, who was born in Maryland (with a twin brother, Franklin) after his parents immigrated from Sierra Leowe in 1993. He first handled a tennis racket at age 8 and continued to take lessons that his parents paid for.
He entered the arena and waved to his friends, family and coaches, and when he hit the court the first time, he had that look of confidence. When the match began, he was brutal with his booming serve, played the entire court and slammed liners down both lines both forehand and backhand.
He also handled Nadal’s serve well, although Nadal did come away with seven aces, except Tiafue delivered 18. He always made up for a bad first serve or a double fault with big bad hard serves, and twice posted two-straight aces to win the game.
He had won every set in his previous four matches and then dropped the one to Nadal.
But he wanted this one and always gave the impression that he knew how to do so. He simply outplayed Nadal with his serve and crafty forehands and backhands that sped past Nadal or down the line.
He took the all-important third set 6-4 by breaking Nadal’s serve at 4-4 and winning at love. He was always looking to his box and nodding. He did the same in the fourth set by getting ahead 3-1, being forced into a 4-4 deadlock, but then breaking Nadal and serving for the epic match.
From this classic victory, current No. 22 should perhaps climb down to the top 10 when the Associated Press votes again.
