US Open Day 1 Takeaways: Rune’s tantrum, Gauff’s comeback, Djokovic reclaims throne
By Marvin Azrak
Frances Tiafoe moves on at the US Open
Frances Tiafoe, the tennis dynamo, kicked off his US Open journey in a blaze of glory, showing off the same form that made him a breakout star last year. He waltzed to a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory over American wild card Learner Tien, making it seem as easy as a walk in the park.
At 17 years old, Tien was the young gun of the men’s draw, fresh off winning his second straight title at the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships.
Yet he was up against a more seasoned player in Tiafoe. Ranked at a career-high No. 10 in the ATP Rankings, Tiafoe broke the ice with a service break at the start of the match, setting the tone for what was to come.
Tien gave it his all, but Tiafoe was like an immovable mountain. He served up a cocktail of 10 aces and won 79 percent of his first-serve points, leaving Tien chasing shadows. While Tien produced 20 winners, he also sprinkled in 32 unforced errors.
Tiafoe was the American hero last year, storming into the men’s semifinals – the first one to do so since Andy Roddick in 2006. He took down giants like Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev along the way. The 25-year-old has been a title magnet in 2023, winning twice already and rocking a 34-14 record for the year.
Next up on Tiafoe’s hit list is Austria’s Sebastian Ofner, ranked 58th, who secured a 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 win over Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
Tiafoe is like a U.S. Open veteran at this point, making his ninth consecutive main-draw appearance, and he’s got that No. 10 seed mojo going on from Wimbledon. Let’s see if he can keep the magic alive and create more US Open fireworks!