NEW YORK: Frances Tiafoe held off fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic to come away with a 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 win in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday.
Tiafoe, seeded 20th, remained composed even as the pressure ramped up to advance as he looks to make good on his promise to win his home Grand Slam after his scintillating run to the semi-finals two years ago put him firmly on the map.
Kovacevic, a New York native making his U.S. Open debut, got nervy while serving in the 10th game of the opener and Tiafoe took full advantage, leaping high in the air to pound an overhead to grab the first set.
Tiafoe smoked a service return for a 4-2 lead in the second and took a 2-0 lead when Kovacevic's one-handed backhand sailed long.
Kovacevic came to life in the third, hitting a sensational around-the-net forehand winner in the fourth game to peel off some of the support from the pro-Tiafoe crowd and breaking serve for a second time to force a fourth set.
But Tiafoe would not be denied, breaking for a 6-5 lead in the fourth and converting his fifth match point to seal the win.
Tiafoe has struggled to find momentum and wins this season but has looked sharper of late, reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open last week to break back into the top 20.
Next up for Tiafoe is a second-round meeting with Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan.