By Tennis Now | Thursday, February 14, 2019
World No. 143 Jason Jung shocked second-seeded Frances Tiafoe, 6-3, 7-5, to charge into the New York Open quarterfinals.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Frances Tiafoe took a late wild card into the New York Open and made an early exit tonight.
World No. 143 Jason Jung outplayed the Australian Open quarterfinalist from start shocking Tiafoe, 6-3, 7-5, to charge into the New York Open quarterfinals.
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The 29-year-old Jung played cleaner combinations and was sharper throughout pulling off the biggest win of his career in advancing to his second career quarterfinal.
Straddling the baseline, Jung often took the ball earlier and punished the American's second serve. Jung won 15 of 23 second-serve points and broke serve three times.
Tiafoe dodged a match point in the ninth game of the second set when Jung floated a shot long then hung tough to force the world No. 143 to serve it out.
Serving for a monumental win at 5-4, Jung was right on top of the net in prime position for a backhand volley, but bungled it into net then missed a crosscourt backhand wide to face double break point.
Jung saved the first break point he faced all night, but double faulted deep on the second to gift Tiafoe his first break.
The Delray Beach champion could not capitalize on his good fortune. Tiafoe scattered a slice backhand then sprayed another forehand error long as Jung broke right back for 6-5.
On his second shot to serve it out, Jung showed no sign of nerve closing a one hour, 26-minute victory at love.
Jung dispatched one explosive American and will now face another—2018 finalist Sam Querrey—with a semifinal spot on the line.
Earlier, the sixth-seeded Querrey cranked 17 aces repelling Radu Albot, 6-3, 6-4, in 70 minutes.