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    Premier League clubs fear huge delay to introducting semi-automated offsides amid concerns over major glitch

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    PREM clubs fear the promised semi-automated offside technology may not now be introduced until NEXT season.Clubs agreed to bring in the system this term at their April meeting after Prem chiefs agreed a deal with US-based Genius Sports.Semi-automated offside technology is used in the Champions LeagueThe tech utilises ‘mesh tracking’ of 10,000-plus data pointsCredit: FIFAAt the time, it was announced that the new system would not be available until after one of the autumn international breaks.That was to ensure thorough testing of Genius’ system of 28 special cameras, which utilise “mesh tracking” of 10,000-plus data points on the surface of each player rather than the limb and skeletal tracking concepts used by Uefa and Fifa.Earlier this season, it was confirmed that more testing was required before Prem bosses could give the green light, with the introduction of the technology pushed back until after Christmas.But club bosses anticipate they will be told this week that they should not expect all the remaining wrinkles to be ironed out in time for the system to run live before the end of the season.READ MORE ON SPORTAn update from PGMOL and the Prem executive is due to discuss the current state of play amid concerns about semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) which were heightened in Spain before the international break.A glitch in the system used in La Liga meant Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski was wrongly ruled offside after scoring against Sociedad when a defender’s boot was mis-identified as being worn by the Polish striker.Barca sporting director Deco spoke about the decision after the game and suggested that another system is needed as a back up.He said: “I don’t think VAR, and not just because of this game, has fixed what in theory it was going to fix.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”I don’t understand if it’s semi-automatic, not automatic, if someone has to press the button.”It’s like having a car and not knowing if it’s automatic, if it’s hybrid … someone will have to explain it to us.Fans left stunned at worst VAR offside line in history as they joke ‘absolutely NOT rigged’ – but all is not as it seemsRobert Lewandowski was failed by the technology earlier this seasonCredit: Getty”Why is it semi-automatic? I am lost. I still don’t know if the boots were yellow [Lewandowski’s] or black [Sociedad defender Nayef Aguerd’s].”We don’t want to go there because we don’t want excuses, but there’s a question: what happened?”Where’s the error occurred, if there’s an error? If not, no problem, but we need an explanation because we’re lost with what semi-automatic means.”If there’s an involvement from VAR, if the referee really can’t do anything.”If the semi-automatic system doesn’t work, then we need to return to another system. This isn’t a Barca issue, it’s about improvements for all teams.”Some things have improved, but in other areas we still have one person’s interpretation. We still have controversial decisions, like the one at (Real Sociedad’s ground) Anoeta on Sunday, which was probably incorrect.”Prem bosses want to ensure the new system is foolproof before its introduction although the delay after the pre-season promises are an embarrassment. More

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      Queens Is Abuzz Over Two Americans in the U.S. Open Finals

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      For the first time in more than two decades, an American man and an American woman will play in the U.S. Open singles finals.Outside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night, dozens of tennis fans gathered, looking up at a screen broadcasting the match inside, the all-American men’s semifinal between Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz.Many didn’t have tickets to be inside Arthur Ashe, but they were content just to be nearby and part of the atmosphere. Fans at the U.S. Open have been abuzz this week, excited that for the first time in more than two decades both an American man and an American woman will play in the U.S. Open singles finals.Jessica Pegula will play Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final on Saturday afternoon, and Taylor Fritz will take on Jannik Sinner for the men’s title on Sunday.With Americans’ presence guaranteed in the finals, the grounds at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens have felt almost like the Fourth of July. Fans have been cheering more loudly than usual for American players, flocking to practices to catch a glimpse of their favorites and draping themselves in red, white and blue.The last time the United States was represented in the men’s and women’s finals at the U.S. Open was in 2002. That year, the finals were an all-American affair with Pete Sampras defeating Andre Agassi in the men’s final, and Serena Williams taking the women’s title in a match against her sister, Venus Williams.Houston Bigelow of Washington, D.C., wore his support on Friday.Karsten Moran for The New York TimesGinny DeHart, left, and Jen Otto traveled from Mississippi for the Open.Karsten Moran for The New York TimesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      U.S. Open: Rajeev Ram and His Partner Just Keep Winning Open Doubles

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      They have won three years in a row and are on an 18-match winning streak.Nearly two weeks had passed since Rajeev Ram had again come painfully close to an Olympic gold medal.“It’s still hard,” he said in an interview this month. “Even many days after now, it’s still hard. I knew what a big opportunity this was.”In Ram’s Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, he settled for silver in mixed doubles with Venus Williams. Eight years later in Paris, it was silver again, this time in men’s doubles.Ram and fellow American Austin Krajicek did get their scrapbook moment by eliminating the Spanish superstars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal in front of a center-court crowd at Roland Garros that was hardly in Team U.S.A.’s corner.Ram teamed up with Austin Krajicek during the Summer Olympics in Paris and won a silver medal.Clive Brunskill/Getty Images“Even if they’re not cheering for me, I’ll take that atmosphere any day of the week,” Ram said.But Ram and Krajicek could not hold a second-set lead in the final and lost the gold in a match tiebreaker to Matt Ebden and John Peers of Australia by the crepe-thin margin of 10-8.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Halep Gets 4-Year Suspension for Doping Violation

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      Halep, who tested positive for a banned substance at the U.S. Open in 2022, promised an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.An independent panel overseeing antidoping rules for tennis has issued a four-year suspension to Simona Halep of Romania, a ruling that could effectively end the career of the former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion.Halep, 31, was charged with two separate breaches of the sport’s antidoping rules, following a failed drug test at the U.S. Open in 2022. Halep tested positive for Roxadustat, a drug commonly used for people suffering from anemia, a condition resulting from a low level of red blood cells.Roxadustat is on the list of banned substances because it artificially stimulates hemoglobin and red blood cell production, which is a technique for players to gain more endurance. The drug does this by getting the body to produce more of the hormone erythropoietin, commonly referred to as “EPO,” which plays an important role in red blood cell production.Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. More red blood cells can result in increased endurance, which made EPO a particularly common performance-enhancing substance in professional cycling for years.In addition, Halep was also accused of having irregularities in her blood compared with samples that the agency had access to as part of her so-called biological passport, which provides doping enforcement officials with a baseline. The three-person tribunal that heard the case between the International Tennis Integrity Agency and Halep found that those irregularities suggested the use of banned substances during the season.Halep, who had never previously failed a drug test, had argued and provided evidence to support her contention that the Roxadustat had been present in a contaminated supplement that she had taken ahead of the U.S. Open, but that it had not been listed as one of the ingredients. The tribunal accepted that argument, but after hearing expert testimony, it concluded that the supplement contamination could not account for the amount of Roxadustat found in her urine.Karen Moorhouse, the chief executive of the I.T.I.A., said the agency welcomed the decision after a yearlong process that had received significant criticism from both Halep, coaches she has worked with and other players. Moorhouse said that about 8,000 pages of evidence was considered.“The I.T.I.A. has followed the proper processes as we would with any other individual — in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code — fulfilling our purpose and responsibility to uphold the principle of fair competition, on behalf of the sport,” she said.In a statement released through her communications team, Halep said that she had never knowingly or intentionally taken a banned substance and that she would appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which functions as a top court for sports disputes. She said the evidence she had presented to the tribunal was compelling.“While I am grateful to finally have an outcome following numerous unfounded delays and a feeling of living in purgatory for over a year, I am both shocked and disappointed by their decision,” Halep said.The suspension is the highest-profile ruling in the sport since Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes, received a two-year suspension in 2016 for a doping violation.Sharapova tested positive for a heart medication that is said to improve blood flow and allow athletes to recover faster, in January 2016, shortly after it was added to a list of banned substances.Sharapova quickly admitted that she had for 10 years taken a heart drug whose active ingredient is Meldonium to manage what she said were a variety of health problems. She was not aware that the drug had been banned, she said. Sharapova was 29 when she was suspended, and though she did return to tennis, she retired in 2020 when she was 32.If the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds the suspension, Halep will be banned from competing in tennis until October 2026 because she has been provisionally suspended for nearly a year. More

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      How to Watch the U.S. Open Final: Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka Play for the Championship

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      Gauff, 19, is the first American teenager to reach the singles final in New York since Serena Williams in 2001.Follow live updates on the U.S. Open women’s final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.The U.S. Open women’s singles final is set: Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old American, will play Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed from Belarus.The championship match, which is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern, will be Gauff’s first appearance in a U.S. Open final, making her the first American teenager to reach the final in New York since Serena Williams in 2001. Gauff has already played in a Grand Slam final in 2022, when she lost the French Open to Iga Swiatek.Sabalenka, 25, will also be playing in a U.S. Open final for the first time after reaching the semifinals of the tournament in 2021 and 2022. Sabalenka has performed well at Grand Slams this year. She won the Australian Open in January for her first Grand Slam title, and she reached the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon.Here’s what to know about the match.Their roads to the final.Before the semifinals, Sabalenka had sailed through the tournament, winning her first five matches without dropping a set. That streak ended in the semifinal on Thursday against Madison Keys, who took the first set from Sabalenka 6-0 in a swift 30 minutes. But Sabalenka fought back, winning the next two sets on tiebreakers.Gauff’s matches have not been as straightforward. She played a full three sets in the first round against Laura Siegemund, in the third round against Elise Mertens and in the fourth round against Caroline Wozniacki.But since then, Gauff has had back-to-back straight sets wins. In the quarterfinals against Jelena Ostapenko she won 6-0, 6-2, in just over an hour. In the semifinals, Gauff beat Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5.Gauff leads the head-to-head.Sabalenka and Gauff have played against each other five times, and Gauff has won three of those matches. The final will be the first time the two have played each other at a Grand Slam tournament.Sabalenka won their most recent match in straight sets in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells earlier this year. After her match on Thursday, Sabalenka said that she hadn’t thought about that win because Gauff had improved since then.Gauff arrived at the U.S. Open this year after winning titles in Washington, D.C., and at the Western & Southern Open in Ohio.“It’s a different player,” Sabalenka said. “Going into this final, I think I just have to focus on myself and prepare myself for another fight. No matter what, just keep fighting and keep playing my best and do my best.”There’s a spotlight on Gauff.Since Gauff turned pro at 14, she has been under a near-constant spotlight and has often been described as an heir apparent to Serena Williams. Gauff affirmed those descriptions for many when she reached her first Grand Slam singles final last year at the French Open at just 18 years old.Now, as the last American woman standing in the tournament, the focus is on Gauff yet again. Gauff said after her match on Thursday that she had been avoiding social media to block out the expectations people have for her.“I have just been really focusing on myself,” she said. “I really believe that now I have the maturity and ability to do it. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, I’m really proud of how I have been handling the last few weeks.”Still, Gauff is seeking her first Grand Slam tournament title, and after winning on Thursday, she said on court that the “job’s not done yet,” a reference to the basketball star Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020.“That’s the mentality that I have,” Gauff said. “I’m trying to enjoy the moment, but also knowing I still have more work to do. Yes, the final is an incredible achievement, but it’s something that I’m not satisfied with yet.”Don’t count out Sabalenka.After losing the first set of her semifinal match on Thursday without winning a single game, Sabalenka found herself down 4-2 in the second set against Keys. But Sabalenka willed her way back, forcing a tiebreaker in the second set, and then again in the third set.“I’m really proud that I was able to turn around this match,” Sabalenka said.Thursday night was not the first time Sabalenka had pulled off such a comeback. At last year’s tournament, Sabalenka was down — 2-6, 1-5 — in a second-round match against Kaia Kanepi. The match had been Kanepi’s to lose until Sabalenka fought back to win the second set and then the third.Sabalenka said the best way to practice comebacks is in tournaments, but even in practice, she will visualize being down 4-1 in a set.A world No. 1 spot awaits.Even if Sabalenka were to lose the final on Saturday, she would become the new women’s world No. 1 on Monday when the WTA rankings are updated. Sabalenka is guaranteed the top spot after Swiatek, who reigned as the No. 1 player for 75 weeks, was eliminated from the U.S. Open in the fourth round.After her fourth-round match against Daria Kasatkina on Monday, Sabalenka said she wasn’t thinking about the No. 1 spot yet.“I don’t want to celebrate anything before the end of the U.S. Open,” she said. “I just want to focus on this tournament more than on world No. 1.” More

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      Coco Gauff Plays Karolina Muchova in US Open Semifinal Thursday

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      Gauff, 19, is one match win away from making the U.S. Open singles final for the first time in her career.Two American women will play on Thursday for spots in the U.S. Open final.One, Coco Gauff, the No. 6 seed, will play in the semifinals against 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. On the other side of the draw, 17th-seeded Madison Keys of the United States will face off against second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, this year’s Australian Open champion.Much of the spotlight in this tournament has been on Gauff, 19, in part for how far she has advanced on the tour while still a teenager. She reached the French Open final last year, and she is the first American teenager to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since Serena Williams did it in 2001.To reach the final, Gauff will need to defeat Muchova, who reached the French Open final this year.Here’s what to know about the match between Gauff and Muchova, set for Thursday at 7 p.m., Eastern time.How did they get here?Muchova has effectively cruised into the semifinals. Through her first five matches, she has dropped only one set, which came in the fourth round against Wang Xinyu. She advanced to the semifinals after defeating Sorana Cirstea, 6-0, 6-3, in the quarterfinals.Some of Gauff’s matches have gone on longer than she would have liked. She played a full three sets in the first round against Laura Siegemund, in the third round against Elise Mertens and in the fourth round against Caroline Wozniacki. In the quarterfinals, Gauff defeated Jelena Ostapenko, 6-0, 6-2, in just over an hour.Gauff says she’s feeling fresh.Gauff has spent a lot of time on court this tournament. In the single’s draw alone, she has played 9 hours 19 minutes. She has also played four matches through the quarterfinals in the women’s doubles draw with her partner, Jessica Pegula. She also played one match in the mixed doubles draw with Jack Sock.But despite all the court time, Gauff said after her victory over Ostapenko that she has been working to build her endurance for the later stages of Grand Slam tournaments.“I’m still in the mind-set that I’m in the beginning of the tournament,” Gauff said. “I just feel so fresh, to be honest. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been tricking myself or maybe when this is over I’m going to hit a wall. But I’m really proud of how I’m able to get through these matches.”Gauff beat Muchova recently.Gauff and Muchova have played each other only once. That match was in August in the final of the Western & Southern Open in Ohio, which Gauff won, 6-3, 6-4.Gauff said she was going to plan a different approach to playing Muchova this time because she thought Muchova was struggling physically in that match.“I don’t think that will be the case again,” Gauff said.Muchova didn’t want to reveal too much about her tactics against Gauff in the semifinal, saying she would focus on her own game. But Muchova said she knows Gauff has several tools to use in matches.“She’s very athletic,” Muchova said. “She never gives up, runs for every ball, doesn’t do many mistakes. She has kind of all the strokes.”Both players have reached a Grand Slam final.Now they want to win one. Muchova reached the final of the French Open this year, but lost in three sets to Iga Swiatek. Gauff experienced the same thing last year at the French Open, where she also lost the final to Swiatek.But while experience in a Grand Slam final is important, Muchova will also face a loud crowd that will be eager to cheer for an American in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night.Aryna Sabalenka or Madison Keys will be next.The winner of the Gauff-Muchova match will play the winner of the other semifinal matchup, between Sabalenka and Keys, which follows. Sabalenka is favored to win, but, like Gauff, Keys will have an American crowd backing her in Arthur Ashe.“Of course, they will support her more than me,” Sabalenka said of Keys on Wednesday. “I’ll just try to stay focused and try to play my best tennis.”The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. More

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      Naomi Osaka Makes U.S. Open Return. But Not for Tennis.

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      Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion, has taken breaks from tennis for her mental health and to start a family, but she is aiming to compete again in 2024.Naomi Osaka didn’t bring any rackets with her when she arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Wednesday afternoon. Osaka had no plans to play tennis.“For me, coming back here, it means a lot,” Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, said. “It’s like seeing an old friend that you haven’t seen in a long time.”Osaka was speaking in the main news conference room on Wednesday inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. She knows it well. It’s where she got to field questions from reporters on some of her best occasions, like her U.S. Open championships in 2018 and 2020. It’s also where she has been during low moments, including a first-round exit at last year’s tournament.“There were some tears shed,” Osaka said about the room. “A lot.”On Wednesday, Osaka had returned for a panel with Michael Phelps, the American swimmer who stands as the most decorated Olympian ever; Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general; and Dr. Brian Hainline, the chief medical officer of the N.C.A.A. and the chairman of the United States Tennis Association board.Michael Phelps, the decorated Olympic swimmer, said in the past he trained more intensely instead of reaching out for help with mental health issues.Hiroko Masuike/The New York TimesThe topic of the panel, mental health and sports, is one that Osaka has spoken about often since she cited mental health concerns in her withdrawal from the French Open in 2021. Her exit then led to a break from tennis.Osaka, who turned pro in 2013 as a teenager and came to be seen as the heir apparent to Serena Williams, is away from tennis now, too. In January she announced she was pregnant but planned to play in the 2024 Australian Open. She gave birth to her daughter in July, calling it on Instagram “a cool little intermission.”On Wednesday, Osaka, 25, said she had plenty of time to reflect during her most recent leave from the sport.“It definitely made me appreciate a lot of things that I took for granted,” she said.Osaka did not say when she planned to return to tennis during the panel, but she later told ESPN in an interview that she had designs on playing in 2024, adding that she has been training and should be hitting balls soon.Speaking back in that room, Osaka alluded to the idea of having a long career.“I just remember watching the Australian Open and being very devastated because I’ve never missed an Australian Open,” Osaka said. But while watching, Osaka said, she thought about how late Serena and Venus Williams played into their careers.Serena Williams, who retired at last year’s U.S. Open, played until she was 40. Venus Williams, 43, played at this year’s tournament, losing in the first round of singles.“I was thinking I probably no way will ever play at their age,” Osaka said. “But sitting here, I’m like, you know what? I might do that.”Osaka said pregnancy gave her a lot of time to think, and that she felt isolated at times. She had to force herself to ask for help.“I actually felt lonely during my pregnancy just because I felt like I wasn’t able to do a lot of things,” she said.She added: “Normally I’m thinking, ‘If I’m going to be an independent woman, then I’m not going to ask anyone for help. Whenever something happens, just take it on the chin.’ But then I got to a place where I needed to ask for help.”For decades, many athletes have been reluctant to share their struggles with their mental health. It’s especially the case for professionals, whose jobs require them to push their bodies to perform at the highest level. But in recent years, athletes have gradually become more open about discussing mental health. Besides Osaka, they include the gymnast Simone Biles, the basketball star Kevin Love, and, in tennis, Amanda Anisimova, the young American once ranked in the top 25 who in May cited mental health concerns in deciding to step away from the sport.Among Olympians, Phelps has also led a push to speak out on mental health.Osaka spoke on a panel with Michael Phelps, third from left; Dr. Vivek Murthy, left, the surgeon general; and Brian Hainline, fourth from left, the chief medical officer of the N.C.A.A. and the chair of the United States Tennis Association board.Hiroko Masuike/The New York TimesPhelps, who has also faced mental health issues, said that, like for Osaka, working through those problems required realizing he had to reach out and ask for help.“I learned that I couldn’t do it all by myself,” Phelps said.After winning six gold medals at the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps entered what he described as a “post-Olympics depression.” But instead of reaching out to someone for help, Phelps said, he compartmentalized his issues by swimming and training more.It wasn’t until about 2014, Phelps said, when he hit a “breaking point.”“I decided that something had to change,” he said. “So for me, I had to become vulnerable for the first time in my life.While Osaka didn’t say exactly when she’ll play again, when she returns the difficulties of life on tour will follow, such as time away from family and the pressure of competing in an individualistic sport. But this time, Osaka said she will be more comfortable seeking help when she needs it.Osaka said that she had two friends she counts on when she is dealing with loneliness.“I know I can reach out to them at any time, and I think it’s really important,” she said. “You’re not alone in anything.” More

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      Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe Set for All-American Quarterfinal

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      Here’s what to know about the singles match between Shelton and Tiafoe, two of the three American men remaining in the U.S. Open.The men’s semifinals at the U.S. Open are guaranteed to include at least one American.That’s because 10th-seeded Frances Tiafoe and unseeded Ben Shelton will play for one of the final four spots when they meet in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Their match features two of the three American men remaining in the tournament. The other is ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz, who will play second-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia in another quarterfinal on Tuesday. It is the first time since 2005 that three American men have advanced this far in singles at the Open.Tiafoe and Shelton have not played each other as professionals. Tiafoe reached the semifinals at last year’s Open. And while Shelton will be playing in the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time, he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, losing to his fellow American Tommy Paul.Here’s what to know about the match.How did they get here?Tiafoe has dropped only one set in four matches. He had straight-sets wins against Learner Tien of the United States and Sebastian Ofner of Austria. In the third round, he faced Adrian Mannarino, a 22nd-seeded Frenchman, who took the first set. But Tiafoe won in four sets even as Mannarino gave him trouble, pushing a tiebreaker in the fourth set.Tiafoe cruised in the fourth round in another straight-sets victory, this time against Rinky Hijikata of Australia.Shelton has played more matches than Tiafoe at the U.S. Open. In addition to men’s singles, Shelton played, and lost, in the first round of the men’s doubles draw. He also won his quarterfinals match on Monday with his partner, Taylor Townsend.Shelton’s serve has reached 149 miles per hour twice at this U.S. Open.Gabriela Bhaskar for The New York TimesShelton defeated Pedro Cachin of Argentina in the first round in four sets, then caught a break in the second round when his opponent, Dominic Thiem of Austria, retired in the second set with what appeared to be a stomach-related issue.He then beat Aslan Karatsev of Russia in four sets and upset Paul, also in four sets.Beware of Shelton’s serve.One of Shelton’s best tools is his powerful serve. In his fourth-round match, he fired a 149-miles-per-hour ace against Paul. The serve has been the fastest at this tournament so far.“He’s throwing his whole arm in that thing,” Tiafoe said on Sunday.But Tiafoe can serve well, too. In his third-round match against Hijikata, Tiafoe had 15 aces, including two back to back in the second set that were clocked at 129 and 134 m.p.h.Still, Tiafoe acknowledged on Sunday that Shelton was more than a big serve. Shelton hits solid volleys, isn’t afraid to come to the net and plays with a lot of energy, Tiafoe said.“He’s going to throw the kitchen sink at me,” Tiafoe said.Keep an eye on Tiafoe’s drop shot.Among Tiafoe’s tools is a sneaky drop shot that he likes to use at the right moment. While his drop shot can be tough for his opponents to return, Tiafoe says he tries not to use it too often.“Because then they’re looking for it,” he said.Part of what makes playing Tiafoe difficult is that he can be unpredictable, mixing his drop shots with slices and play at the net. In his fourth-round match, Tiafoe fired an ace at 135 m.p.h. He followed it with a drop shot.Whether it’s with a two-handed backhand or a drop shot, Tiafoe wants to keep his opponent on his toes.Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times“It’s more fun when you’re out there just using your head and using different stuff and keeping your opponent on their toes,” he said.Aware of that, Shelton on Sunday described Tiafoe as “a nightmare to deal with.”“He’s just one of those guys where it’s must-see TV,” Shelton said of Tiafoe. “You want to watch him play all the time. He kind of has that Carlos Alcaraz effect, especially here in New York. This is his place where he really wants to show up.”Tiafoe has been here before.A quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open will be a first for Shelton, who said that reaching the final eight of the tournament had been a dream of his since he was a child.Tiafoe reached the semifinals last year, losing to Alcaraz. After coming so close to the final last year, he will be eager to have another shot.“I want to be playing my best tennis here,” Tiafoe said after his third-round match. “That’s ultimately what matters.”Taylor Fritz or Novak Djokovic await.The winner of Tuesday’s match will face Fritz or Djokovic, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, in the semifinals on Friday. Djokovic is heavily favored to win in the quarterfinals, but Fritz reached the final eight without dropping a set.Djokovic has won three of his four matches in straight sets, but he ran into trouble in the third round against his fellow countryman Laslo Djere, who took the first two sets before losing in five. More

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      Why Does Frances Tiafoe Change His Shirt So Often at the US Open?

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      During a changeover 26 minutes into his second-round match against Sebastian Ofner, Frances Tiafoe reached into his bag, pulled out a fresh top and changed his shirt. Twenty-four minutes later, up by 4-1 in the second set, he swapped that shirt for a clean one again.Between the second and third set, Ofner took a medical timeout. Tiafoe had been wearing his shirt for only about six minutes, but he was ready for another.Before the match ended, Tiafoe changed his teal sleeveless shirt once more. By the end of his straight-sets victory over Ofner, there was a pile of sweaty shirts by Tiafoe’s bench. He picked them all up and stuffed them into his bag before leaving the court. (Those shirts are later given to the U.S. Open staff members who take care of the laundry.)Through the fourth round, Tiafoe had changed his top 20 times, an average of five times per match.“I don’t want to feel like I’m playing with really sweaty clothes just because I’m not prepared,” Tiafoe said. “I know how much I can sweat.”Maansi Srivastava/The New York TimesHe will usually return to his bench, hydrate and towel off his face and body before slipping into a fresh shirt. He has no specific method for determining when he needs to change. Sometimes he’ll grab a fresh shirt out of his bag at the end of a set. Other times, he will change multiple times in a single set.It is not uncommon for a player who has been sweating in a competition to change into a clean shirt a few times each match. But Tiafoe has taken freshening up to an elite, seemingly compulsive level.If he feels uncomfortable, he wants a fresh top.“You want to be as light as you can on the court,” Tiafoe said after his second-round victory, adding that if he feels even a small amount of moisture on his shirt, he’ll change it. “I’m very adamant about that.”Many athletes have quirks. Superstitious baseball players hop over foul lines to avoid bad luck. Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, is steadfast about having two water bottles by his bench positioned diagonally from each other with the logos facing the court. For Tiafoe, it is a near obsession with changing shirts — perhaps more than any other player on the men’s tour.Tiafoe changing his shirt during his match against Sebastian Ofner.Hiroko Masuike/The New York TimesAt tournaments, many players wear one outfit and stick with it; others swap out an outfit only if it is uncomfortable or seems unlucky. At last year’s U.S. Open, Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, asked an umpire for permission to change her outfit in the middle of a match.Players can change tops from their benches during matches. Men are allowed two opportunities to leave the court for a complete outfit change in a best-of-five match, and women are allowed one change of attire in a best-of-three match.“Shirts, socks and shoes should be changed on court,” the International Tennis Federation rule book says.At this year’s U.S. Open, Tiafoe has sported a teal, sleeveless top patterned with shades of baby blue, coral, peach and maroon. He has completed his ensemble with teal shorts and a pair of bright red shoes with his nickname, Big Foe, across the heels.Tiafoe said he packed as many as 20 tops in his bag to be sure he had enough for his matches. He also takes two extra pairs of shoes, in case a pair becomes too sweaty.“I don’t want to feel like I’m playing with really sweaty clothes just because I’m not prepared,” Tiafoe said. “I know how much I can sweat.”And Tiafoe sweats a lot. In a couple of his matches at this tournament, even after he has changed shirts, Tiafoe has needed help from a ball crew member to peel his shirt off his back because the top had stuck to his shoulders.Tiafoe asking a ball boy to help him unroll his shirt.Hiroko Masuike/The New York TimesThe weather at the U.S. Open has appeared to play a role in how many times Tiafoe has changed clothes.In his first-round match, the humidity levels made playing conditions feel muggy inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. In that match, against Learner Tien, Tiafoe changed his shirt six times.But even after a cold front swept through New York in time for Tiafoe’s second- and third-round matches, he perspired enough to change four times on Wednesday against Ofner and four times on Friday against Adrian Mannarino.By his fourth-round match against Rinky Hijikata on Sunday, temperatures had reached 88 degrees. This week, the forecast is for humid days with temperatures into the 90s through Thursday, above normal for this time of year in New York, before settling into the 80s for the semifinals and final.When Tiafoe plays Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals on Tuesday that will probably mean more sweat and more shirt changes.But who’s counting? More