Frances Tiafoe kept his composure when it mattered most to defeat Lorenzo Musetti and reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.
The 17th-seeded American overcame the Italian 7-6(2), 7-5 in a hard-fought quarter-final that lasted two hours and 17 minutes on Friday night.
Tiafoe appeared to have the match under control when he earned a match point at 5-4 in the second set, but he could not serve out the victory. Rather than allowing the setback to affect him, the American responded immediately.
He produced a strong service game to break back before finally closing out the match on his fourth match point.
Tiafoe’s first serve was not particularly consistent, landing just 44 per cent of the time, but he was highly effective when he did get it in. He lost only five points behind his first delivery throughout the match.
“I just gotta play to win,” Tiafoe said after the victory, explaining that he focused on playing aggressively and trusting the quality of his groundstrokes.
The win sends Tiafoe into his third Masters 1000 semi-final and his first since he reached the Cincinnati final in 2024.
It also puts him one victory away from a chance to claim the biggest title of his career.
The 28-year-old has now collected 36 wins this season, matching fellow American Tommy Paul for the most victories by a US player in 2026.
Tiafoe also improved his record against Musetti to 4-3 and recorded his eighth victory over a Top 20 opponent this season, joining Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Thiago Tirante among the players to achieve that mark.
His next challenge will be another American, Brandon Nakashima.
Nakashima has struggled against Tiafoe in their previous meetings, with Tiafoe holding a 6-1 advantage in their ATP Head2Head record. Their semi-final will also be a historic occasion for American tennis.
It will be the first time since Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish reached the Cincinnati semi-finals in 2010 that two American men have made the last four at the tournament.
With home support behind him and a Masters 1000 final now within reach, Tiafoe will be hoping his latest run can finally deliver the biggest trophy of his career.
