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By Chris Oddo | Sunday January 20, 2019


Dream run. Dream birthday. Everything is coming up roses for 21-year-old American Frances Tiafoe.

The World No.38 produced the biggest win of his career on Day 7, taking down No.20-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-5 to reach his first major quarterfinal and set a clash with Rafael Nadal in the last eight.

It has been a stunning run for the Maryland native, who lost in the first round in seven of his first nine Grand Slam appearances, but buoyed by the confidence that came from a breakout season in 2018, where he reached the third round at Wimbledon and won his first career title at Delray Beach, Dimitrov has continued to progress.

He won a five-setter for the first time in the round of 32 when he knocked off Veteran Italian Andreas Seppi and on Sunday Tiafoe was the better player from most of the match as he eliminated Dimitrov.

After the match an emotional Tiafoe was at a loss for words as he reflected on his path to professional tennis.


"I told my parents 10 years ago I was going to be a pro. I was going to do this. I was going to change their life and my life,” said Tiafoe.

Even defeated Dimitrov had kind words for Tiafoe, saying: “It's great. It's so nice to see somebody new, somebody fresh. I mean, everybody in the locker room likes him, everybody is laughing. I mean, obviously he's great as a team player. He's going to be amazing. He can only get better from now on, for sure.”

Dimitrov also urged Tiafoe to stay calm and follow the right path.

Staying calm might not be so easy for the 21-year-old. He’ll face the great Rafael Nadal in his first major quarterfinal on Tuesday in Melbourne. Is it even possible to stay calm before that?


When asked if he was going to have a quiet birthday so that he could better prepare for Nadal, Tiafoe replied: “I can’t do anything, he’s going to run me like crazy—I gotta go to sleep now as a matter of fact.”

He added, after laughs subsided: “I’ve been watching him play for so many years, and if I could play him in the quarterfinals of a Slam, hopefully at night, on Laver, that would mean the world to me. He better get ready.”

 

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