This means everything

Which entertainer can win the crowd over?

Tiafoe's American hardcourt swing looked set to be rough. A disappointing loss in Washington and early on in Montreal. After that, there were worries about his cyst removal ahead of Cincinnati. He made his way to the finals there and is now in his third semifinal at the US Open, which is pretty amazing. Frances did mention pretty early on that he had played a lot of matches and that he was feeling a bit weary. Well, he is still standing, even managing a 2-0 comeback against Michelsen. He started very slowly against an inspired Michelsen. It was a slow start; he never really got the crowd on his side early on until he broke Michelsen when he was serving for the match. Tiafoe is someone who really feeds off the crowd; that explains why he has so many good results at the USO ;) I even remember many years back when he managed to get the crowd behind him in Vienna in a match against Sinner, which he turned around and won. Now, it will be interesting to see if he comes out slowly again, facing another American who also has huge crowd support.

Shelton has looked great all week, managing a tough draw. Alcaraz looked almost unbeatable before they faced off in the quarterfinal, but Shelton managed to put up a good fight and extend the match, which really tested the Spaniard's match fitness. He still had to win it in a fifth-set tiebreaker, which is not easy to do against someone who was 15-1 in deciding sets at Grand Slams.

This is a match that will mean so much to both players: a spot in the finals of their home slam... without Alcaraz or Sinner on the other side. Both players are quite good at handling their nerves. Shelton's game is a bit more consistent, if that makes sense, especially since he has a great serve that really helps... especially in tight moments or if there were to be any physical fatigue. I also find that he has evolved so much as a player tactically; he can stick around in rallies before finding a good opportunity to "go for it". Tiafoe has a high peak, but his game is a bit more hit-or-miss. I do think that the longer format favours Shelton a bit more; his consistency and serving advantage are more likely to wear Frances down...