NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Tiafoe knew Alex Michelsen needed a shoulder to cry on.
So after handing his fellow American a crushing defeat in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Tuesday, Tiafoe held Michelsen in a long embrace while the 22-year-old sobbed into his shoulder.
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“I really like Alex. I really, really do, and I just wanted to come up there and just dap him up,” Tiafoe said. “I didn’t think it was going to be as long as it was, but I understand the moment. He was definitely crying on my shoulders. Yeah, we just had some words for each other, and that was it.”
Michelsen was playing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal and was just a few points from winning it after taking the first two sets. The No. 11-seeded Tiafoe came back to win 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6), starting his turnaround after Michelsen failed to serve out the match with a 5-4 lead in the third set.
Michelsen said he didn't speak much when they met at the net.
“I was trying to keep it together and I didn’t do a good job of that,” Michelsen said. “He was saying a lot of nice personal things. ‘You’ll be there. When I’m older, you’re going to be here, and we’re going to play it again in this type of circumstance.’ All that good stuff. He’s a great guy for consoling me in that moment.”
This was the third pro match between the two, with Tiafoe winning both previous encounters. Michelsen said after his fourth-round victory that Tiafoe was an "unbelievable guy and a very good friend of mine,” and said similar after Tuesday's defeat.
“I don’t think anyone else could have made me cry in that moment, to be honest,” Michelsen said.
Tiafoe is 28, one of the leaders of American men's tennis and a fan favorite at the U.S. Open, where he has reached his third semifinal. He said Sunday in looking ahead to the match that he had developed a good relationship with Michelsen.
Jessica Pegula said she watched the end of the match before she took the court for her quarterfinal victory over Emma Navarro.
“Just seeing Alex hug him at the end, I started crying in the locker room,” the No. 3-ranked American said. “It was so heartbreaking. My heart hurt so much.”
Michelsen left the court with a towel on his head, raising his arm to acknowledge the cheers from the crowd. Tiafoe told those fans what he thought of Michelsen's performance.
“I mean, he easily could have won today so shout out to Alex Michelsen," Tiafoe said.
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