CNN
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No American has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Taylor Fritz has the chance to end that drought.

Fritz overcame a 2-1 set deficit on Friday to defeat fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the US Open final.

In the final on Sunday, Fritz, seeded 12th, will face world number one Jannik Sinner, who reached his first US Open final after defeating Briton Jack Draper 7:5, 7:6(3) and 6:2.

For Fritz, it was his first appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal, while Tiafoe, the number 20 seed, reached this stage for the first time at the 2022 US Open.

“That’s why I do what I do,” said an emotional Fritz. “That’s why I work so hard. I mean, I’m in the final of the US Open.”

Roddick, who was in attendance at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, was the last American to reach a Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon in 2009. He was the last American to reach the final of the U.S. Open in 2006.

Sinner, 23, who has already won 10 matches in a row, is seeking his second Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open in January. He is the first Italian in tournament history to reach the US Open singles final.

In the direct duels, the score is 1:1 between Sinner and the 26-year-old Fritz.

“I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got, I know that,” Fritz said. “I’m going to give everything I can give, so I can’t wait.”

Fritz is now 7-1 against Tiafoe.

On a sultry day in New York, the semifinal between Sinner and Draper, which lasted just over three hours despite three sets, was a physical challenge for both players.

Although it was the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career, left-hander Draper played tough against Sinner. The first set lasted almost an hour.

The second set was even more grueling, lasting almost 90 minutes. Draper had to vomit several times. Sinner, on the other hand, was in danger of injury in the middle of the most exciting moment of the match when the score was 4:4, 15:40.

Sinner, who was at the net after Draper returned a volley, had to sprint diagonally across the court and back to the baseline to chase Draper’s follow-up.

The 6ft 3in Italian showed off his incredible agility and reach and was able to hit a lob to save the point. But as he subsequently slid down the court to change his swing, Sinner stumbled near the wall – and fell on his left wrist as he tried to break his fall. Sinner, who is right-handed, was able to get up and fend off a Draper overhead, firing a forehand winner past the Brit – and then grabbed the wrist and leaned forward.

After that game, both players were treated by different physiotherapists. For the rest of the game, Sinner showed no outward signs that his wrist was a problem. He later told reporters that the physiotherapist “loosened it up very quickly” after treating it on the court and that the problem “disappeared through playing.”

“Let’s see how it is tomorrow when it’s cold,” Sinner said. “It will be a different feeling. Hopefully it’s nothing to worry about.”

After Sinner broke Draper in the third set and took a 4-2 lead, the Briton hunched over and looked exhausted.

The 22-year-old Draper, the first Briton to reach the US Open singles semi-finals since Andy Murray won the title in 2012, had not dropped a single set on his way to the semi-finals.

“I think it was obviously a very physical game,” Draper told reporters when asked about the nausea he was feeling. “Obviously that’s why Jannik is the No. 1 player in the world, because when you play against the top players, the intensity is different. You know, it’s a step up.”

“I think this is clearly a big moment for me. Even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, today I was definitely more excited and nervous. I’m definitely a pretty nervous person. Putting all that together, I sometimes feel a little bit sick on the court and when things get tough, I feel a little bit nauseous as well.

“Yeah, I didn’t have any problems before the game, but it obviously just built up.”

Sinner’s run comes against the backdrop of his recent doping case, which was made public on August 20 – news that shocked the tennis world. Sinner, who avoided a ban after testing positive twice for traces of a banned substance, has said he has done nothing wrong.

“I’m just happy to be here in the final,” Sinner said. “Whoever it is, it’s going to be a very tough challenge for me, but I’m just looking forward to it. The season I’m going through right now is very, very positive. … We’re just trying to keep pushing and then we’ll see what I can do on Sunday.”