US Open star sees off ‘so annoying’ rival in frustrating New York match

American tennis player Frances Tiafoe advanced to the Round of 16 in the US Open after defeating veteran player Adrian Mannarinoe, who the American labelled as “annoying to play” against due to his unconventional style on the court.

Despite winning, Tiafoe had trouble converting five out of 15 break points. He found Mannarino’s unpredictable style frustrating.

During an on-court interview, Tiafoe humorously remarked, “He’s so annoying to play. He’s just bunting the ball around. It’s so slow. You look at him, and you’re like, man, what’s he doing?” His comments made the audience laugh, further confirming and highlighting their opposing play styles and the mental challenges Tiafoe faced during the nearly three-hour match.

“But it’s so effective,” he continued. “The ball stays so low. He makes you create. He makes you feel like you want to overplay. He defends really well. I am happy the match is over and I won.” Fans at the Louis Armstrong Stadium enthusiastically cheered, however, as Tiafoe advanced to the fourth round of the US Open with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 win.

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The match took a fair few twists and turns, including when Mannarino broke Tiafoe’s serve in the fifth game, with Tiafoe admitting he didn’t start off well. However, Tiafoe made a comeback in the second set, breaking Mannarino’s serve in both the sixth and eighth games and tying the match.

Tiafoe maintained his momentum in the third set by breaking Mannarino’s serve in the second game, giving him a two-set lead. The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle, with both players exchanging breaks of serve. Tiafoe emerged victorious after winning the tie-breaker in a closely contested match.

“I played a loose game early in the first set, and then after that, I thought I was a better player even though I lost the set had a ton of break points,” he said. I was definitely finding my rhythm, so I just used that as confidence and kept going.”

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“I was super mad that I gave back a break in the fourth [set] and made it real complicated for myself in the end. But I got it done, and feels good to be in the fourth round.”

In the upcoming fourth round of the US Open, Tiafoe is set to take on Rinky Hijikata, who currently holds the world ranking of 110. These two players have yet to face each other on the main tour.

“He’s a great athlete,” Hijikata said after defeating Zhang Zhizhen in the third round of the US Open. “He’s got a great serve, and he’s kind of one of the few guys that are the faces of American tennis at the moment, which is really exciting for this country, and I’m sure they’ll be getting behind him.”

Tiafoe has enjoyed a successful season in 2023, winning three titles in Australia, Houston, and Stuttgart. The previous year, he made history by becoming the first Black American man to reach the semifinals at Flushing Meadows since Arthur Ashe achieved the same feat in 1972.

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