'Just keep putting myself in these situations, and I'll become more comfortable in these situations and get better.

' That's definitely what happened now.

The quarterfinals didn't feel like, I don't know, this big thing to me like it has been, I guess, in the past.

'The Fritz-Tiafoe semifinals -- 'That could be crazy,' Fritz said before the matchup was decided -- is the first between a pair of American men at any major since 2005, when Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri in New York.

No American man has won a Grand Slam singles trophy since Andy Roddick triumphed at the US Open in 2003.

Fritz used his usual blend of big serving, winning 20 of 21 points when his first serves landed in during the fourth set, and big forehands, but he also was effective at the net -- winning 16 of 24 points when he pushed forward -- and returned well enough to accumulate 10 break points.

'There's still work to be done, but his transition game is getting better.

The fact he's seeing it pay off, especially here at the US Open in some big points.

.

.

he's starting to buy into it and believe it,' said Fritz's coach, Michael Russell, specifically mentioning a volley that won a 24-stroke exchange to make it 5-2 in the concluding tiebreaker.

'It's good to see.

That's a big step that we've been really emphasizing for him to win [at] these bigger stages.

You can't just serve and be on the baseline.

'Even though Fritz only converted two of those break chances, it meant he constantly put pressure on Zverev, a German who made it to the finals of the US Open in 2020 and the French Open this year.

- **1st career major semifinals appearance**- **4th active American man to reach a major semifinal, joining Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton**- **4 ATP top-10 wins in majors this season (def.

No.

7 Stefanos Tsitsipas at 2024 Australian Open, No.

4 Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon, No.

8 Casper Ruud in round of 16 at US Open, and Zverev in US Open quarterfinals)**- **16 major match wins are the most by an American man in a year since Andy Roddick (16 in 2009)**- **1st American man to reach 3 major quarterfinals in a year since Roddick (2007)**- **1st American man to reach the second week at all 4 majors in a year since Andre Agassi (2003)**'My backhand, I don't remember, since being on tour, hitting my backhand this badly.

I just don't.

I mean, I was missing shots which were in the middle of the court with no pace, and [they landed in the] bottom of the net.

Terrible.

Just absolutely terrible by me,' Zverev said, shutting his eyes and shaking his head.

'My forehand was OK, actually.

My serve was OK.

But my most reliable shot, the shot that I'm most known for, the shot that you normally wake me up at 3 a.

m.

and I would not miss, was absolutely not there today,' added Zverev, who also lost to Fritz at Wimbledon in July, 'and I have no words for it, to be honest.

'Zverev won 60% of his second serve points over the first two sets (12-of-20), but only 36% of those points over the final two sets (8-of-22).

One was at last year's US Open against Djokovic, who went on to win the title.

Djokovic was eliminated this time in the third round last week; Nadal sat out the tournament.

'We would never talk about, 'Hey, you haven't been to the semifinals of a Slam before,' because you're not really breeding the positivity factor to it,' Russell said.

'It's more about, 'You've been in this position before and come out here and use your weapons that you have, and use the new weapons that we're trying to create, and just go out there and play your game, use the crowd, love the excitement and the actual competition and battle,' which he does, and just go feed off it.

'---I hope this helps! If you need any more details or further assistance, feel free to ask.

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