Tiafoe, Fritz in all-American final after Dimitrov walkover

Francis Tiafoe booked a spot in his second U.S. Open semifinal late Tuesday night after his opponent, Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury.

Tiafoe, a 2022 semifinalist at the final major of the season, will face fellow American Taylor Fritz on Friday.

It’s the first time in nearly 20 years that two American men will face one another in a U.S. Open semifinal.

Andy Roddick is the last American man to win the U.S. Open in 2003.

What happened to Dimitrov?

Grigor Dimitrov had just battled back to take the second set in a tiebreaker when he appeared to lose a step.

He was noticeably slower in the third set and headed off court to see a trainer for a reported groin issue after his opponent Francis Tiafoe took that frame for a 2-1 lead. 

Dimitrov’s body language after he returned to the court suggested the injury wasn’t improving and he managed to win just one game out of five before approaching the net and conceding the match to Tiafoe.

It was just the latest mid-match retirement in this year’s two-week tourney.

What is a retirement in tennis?

A walkover or retirement is a when player automatically advances to the next round without playing. This could happen due to the opponent being sick or injured or because of code of conduct penalty.

Francis Tiafoe’s quarterfinal win Tuesday night against Grigor Dimitrov will be listed as a walkover.

The terms walkover and retirement are often used interchangeably to indicate a match ended before it completed.