Taylor Fritz outlasted and ultimately outclassed fellow American Francis tifo in a grueling five-set Clash to become the first American man to reach the US Open final since Andy rodic in 2003 Fritz will face world number one Jan nicker in Sunday's final marking a significant milestone for American tennis Fritz's Journey to the final is notable given his slower rise among his peers once considered less polished than other American talents like tifo Fritz has steadily improved culminating in this breakthrough performance reflecting on his win Fritz emphasized his focus on maintaining composure under the Relentless pressure from tifo who dominated large portions of the match with his aggressive play from the Baseline tifo on the other hand admitted to struggling with nerves which led to cramps and ultimately cost him the match despite feeling he was the better player at times TFO couldn't maintain his level and saw his two to one lead slip away he acknowledged Fritz's resilience tipping his hat to his compatriots tenacity as Fritz prepares for the final his steady Ascent in the tennis world serves as a reminder of the persistence needed to reach the top the US Open final will be a defining moment for both Fritz and American tennis as he seeks to end a 21-year drought for American men at the tournament