Big stuff from Big Foe

Popyrin’s reward is a last-16 clash with home favourite Frances Tiafoe, who avenged his defeat to Ben Shelton in last year’s US Open quarter-finals by claiming a 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over his 13th-seeded compatriot in an exciting four-hour affair.

Tiafoe and Shelton had a heartwarming moment at the net after the match, where they shared words and embraced amidst a roaring Arthur Ashe stadium.

“At the net, he was just saying, you know, ‘You’re so cold at tennis. You better keep going’. And he was pissed that I was so casual on that volley at the end,” revealed Tiafoe with a laugh.

“I was, like, ‘Dude, it looked casual but I was tight as hell’. You know, he’s just saying a bunch of kind words and stuff like that. Saying keep going and all the best to you going forward, try to win the Open.”

➡️ Full men’s singles draw