Grigor Dimitrov snuck through the first three rounds in quick time, dropping 24 games, six of those all in one set against Rinky Hijikata. Then came Andrey Rublev.
Dimitrov won the first two sets, as the Russian No. 6 seed suffered some of the self-flagellating fits of anger that have characterized his current season. Then, Rublev locked in. He won one set 6-1, then the fourth 6-3. Dimitrov’s mojo was gone.
In another part of his career, he might have flamed out, as Rublev had done for much of the match. This Dimitrov, renascent in the late stages of his career, not so much.
Tiafoe is renascent, too — just in a much shorter timeframe. He roused himself from a slump that began here in 2023, when he lost to Ben Shelton, by taking Carlos Alcaraz to five sets at Wimbledon.
Then he reached the final in Cincinnati, losing to Jannik Sinner, before coming to New York for the tournament he prizes above all others. A five-set comeback from 1-2 down against Shelton took back his domestic limelight.
A gutsy win against Alexei Popyrin after losing his way in the third set followed. What next? Only he can decide.
This match will take place after the conclusion of the women’s quarterfinal between Zheng Qinwen and Aryna Sabalenka.
