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Frances Tiafoe sat within the interview room on the Citi Open on Sunday, sporting his U.S. Olympic crew sweatshirt with a crimson T-shirt beneath, smiling all through his press convention.
He had simply returned from Tokyo, the place the 23-year-old tennis participant had made his first Olympic look, advancing to the second spherical. Earlier than that, he beat World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas within the opening spherical at Wimbledon.
Tiafoe put it merely about how he felt going into his hometown event: He’s motivated and primed to play nicely this week.
“The very best I felt shortly,” Tiafoe stated. “I’m enjoying some nice tennis. I’m able to go.”
The Hyattsville, Maryland, native has strung a number of sturdy performances collectively in his current tournaments on grass, profitable Nottingham in mid-June and making a quarterfinal look at Queen’s the following week earlier than his run at Wimbledon.
He stated that is the primary time he’s gained this many consecutive matches “in a very long time.”
“I feel I can play nicely, however so sporadically,” Tiafoe stated. “To have that many wins in a brief span was very nice. To beat a high-caliber participant in a serious, and really a lot so convincingly.”
The No. 53 participant on this planet is true. He beat Tsitsipas in straight units at Wimbledon within the first spherical after which knocked off World No. 65 Vasek Pospisil in three units as nicely.
At Nottingham, Tiafoe cruised by way of the sphere, profitable 4 of his 5 matches in straight units, together with a 6-1, 6-3 win over fellow American Denis Kudla within the finals.
Although he’s had success, Tiafoe isn’t near his highest world rating, which was No. 29 in February 2019. That doesn’t trouble Tiafoe; he needs to be among the best on this planet.
“It’s not likely about getting again to 29 on this planet,” Tiafoe stated. “I see myself as a high 15, high 10 man. … Being on the high of the sport is what I’m approaching.”
Tiafoe has an opportunity to enhance his rating over the following month main as much as the U.S. Open, which kicks off on the finish of August. He, like many different skilled tennis gamers, is making ready for the grand slam in American hardcourt tournaments.
Tiafoe’s first take a look at: this week’s Citi Open.
The occasion wasn’t performed final 12 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however Tiafoe did play within the 2019 event, dropping to Daniil Medvedev within the Spherical of 16.
This 12 months, Tiafoe is the No. 16 seed within the singles draw, incomes the ultimate bye into the second spherical. He’ll face the winner of Monday’s first spherical match between Kevin Anderson and Jenson Brooksby.
“Actually, I simply received to maintain staying at the place I’m staying at,” Tiafoe stated of his strategy. “I’ve been profitable lots of matches currently, much more convincingly as nicely.”
Ought to Tiafoe win his first match in Washington, he’ll meet the No. 2-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, a Canadian who made a quarterfinals look at Wimbledon this 12 months, within the Spherical of 16.
Not solely is Tiafoe enjoying within the singles event this week at Rock Creek Park Tennis Heart, he’s additionally competing in doubles with the defending Citi Open singles champion Nick Kyrgios.
The duo haven’t performed collectively in a event, however they’ve practiced with one another prior to now. The 2 gamers have a playful dynamic, and Kyrgios joked that he doesn’t understand how they’ll have the ability to consider the court docket.
“Me and Frances, once we’re collectively, we don’t cease laughing and we don’t have any form of tennis discuss actually,” Kyrgios stated Sunday. “We’ll see the way it’s going to go.”
He stated the 2 have talked about enjoying doubles prior to now however by no means have been capable of truly do it. Their introduction to doubles collectively gained’t be a simple activity, as they’re squaring off towards the event No. 3-seeded pair of Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig.
Dodig, a Croatian, earned a silver medal in doubles with Marin Cilic in Tokyo. The duo confronted Tiafoe and his U.S. doubles companion Rajeev Ram within the Olympic video games, beating the Individuals in two units.
“It’s going to be a tricky match,” Kyrgios stated. “I performed lots of doubles in my profession. I’ve seen how a lot it could possibly go from like a curler coaster on the market.”
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