By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 21, 2026
Photo credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook
Dabbing a dropper, Frances Tiafoe watched the ball splash on the front court like a splotch of yellow paint on a canvas.
Displaying all-court artistry, Tiafoe stopped the stylish Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(2), 7-5 to reach his second Cincinnati Open semifinal in the last three years.
Tiafoe won 27 of 35 trips to net and more than doubled Musetti’s winner total (36 to 17) in beating the Italian for the fourth time in seven meetings.
A Queen City joy ride continues for Tiafoe, who scored his third Top 20 win of the tournament after victories over No. 12 Learner Tien in the third round and No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the round of 16.
The 28-year-old Tiafoe advanced to his third ATP Masters 1000 semifinal—and first since he contested the 2024 Cincinnati final. All this from the American who had a cyst removed from his racquet hand earlier this month, briefly leaving his Cincinnati status in doubt.
The dynamic Tiafoe will face compatriot Brandon Nakashima in tomorrow night’s all-American semifinal of friendly foes.
Earlier, Nakashima pumped 13 aces and saved four of six break points toppling Taylor Fritz 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 to charge into his third straight semifinal. Montreal finalist Nakashima is the first American man to reach semifinals in Canada and Cincinnati in the same season since Mardy Fish in 2011.
The 17th-seeded Tiafoe has won six of seven meetings vs. Nakashima.
The Italian swung a big serve wide to go up 2-1 in the tiebreaker vs. Tiafoe tonight.
Then Tiafoe turned it up, completely tearing through six points in a row.
Pouncing on a shallow second serve, Tiafoe crushed his return and hit a high forehand volley for 4-2, flicked a fine forehand return crosscourt then fired his fourth ace out wide for a fistful of set point.
An assertive Tiafoe won 13 of 16 trips to net and hit 10 more winners—18 to 8—in the 75-minute opener.
Combine the fast feet, soft hands and mischievous minds for absurd angles both men possess and you get a pulsating all-court exchange we saw in the third game. Musetti ran down a Tiafoe dropper, angled off a reply and extended the point only to see the American take a backhand drive volley down the line. That rousing sequence helped Tiafoe break for a 2-1 second-set lead.
Swiping a forehand swing volley, Tiafoe confirmed the break for 3-1.
The Tiafoe forehand is predicated on an elaborate backswing, but the Foe forehand was firing as he sustained the break.
Serving for the semifinal at 5-4, a jittery Tiafoe opened the game with a double fault. Tiafoe came back to earn a match point, but missed his two-hander. A lunging Musetti extended a point on a ball behind him earning break point when Tiafoe shoveled a half volley into net. Drawing a netted response, Musetti broke back with a shout.
Shaking off that setback, Tiafoe came right back with a smash to set up a clever angled drop volley winner for break point. Tiafoe induced an errant backhand to break again for 6-5.
Attacking with intent, Tiafoe carved a brilliant backhand drop volley for three more match points.
A dashing Musetti darted a forehand pass to save a second match point then drove a deep return to save a third match point.
On match point No. 4, Tiafoe sent a slice serve down the T to close a 7-6, 7-5 victory to surge into the Cincinnati semifinals for the second time in the last three years.
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