Australian Hijikata, who performs Tiafoe at US Open, stands as impediment to Americans’ Grand Slam hopes

NEW YORK — Rinky Hijikata is aware of what he’s going through on the U.S. Open, and it’s extra than simply Frances Tiafoe.

The Australian’s deepest run at a serious match has positioned him as the one impediment standing between the U.S. and a assured spot within the males’s semifinals. Unless Hijikata wins his subsequent two matches, the Americans’ hopes of ending a 20-year Grand Slam drought will probably be alive deep into the second week.

So Hijikata is aware of what to anticipate from the followers Sunday when he faces the Tenth-seeded Tiafoe, and if he will get previous that, towards the winner of the all-American matchup between No. 14 Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton within the quarterfinals.

“They won’t be for me, that’s for sure,” Hijikata stated with a smile, “but I’ll still try to enjoy it as much as I can.”

In simply his third Grand Slam match, the 22-year-old already has performed on Arthur Ashe Stadium. He confronted Rafael Nadal within the first spherical in 2021, dropping in 4 units, so he’s conscious of the ambiance within the greatest enviornment.

But it is going to be completely different towards Tiafoe, a semifinalist final yr who has change into one of the crucial standard gamers in Flushing Meadows and takes each alternative to induce the followers to get louder.

“He’s a great athlete,” Hijikata stated. “He’s got a great serve and he’s kind of one of the few guys that are the faces of American tennis at the moment, which is really exciting for this country, and I’m sure they’ll be getting behind him.”

An American man hasn’t gained a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick’s victory on the 2003 U.S. Open. Tiafoe made an excellent run at ending the dry spell final yr earlier than falling to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Hijikata performed school tennis at North Carolina, the place he was an All-American earlier than turning professional. He stated taking part in Sunday will probably be like a number of the rowdy street atmospheres he skilled with the Tar Heels.

“Well, South Carolina, that was tough,” Hijikata stated. “Pretty hostile there, a lot of chirping, a lot of bickering behind the court, and we managed to get away with a win there and it was one of my favorite memories playing college tennis. So, hopefully I can draw on kind of experiences like that.”

Of course, there will probably be many 1000’s extra followers chirping at his subsequent match.

Hijikata’s idols had been fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 2001 U.S. Open champion, and with Japanese in his heritage, Kei Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up. He hopes to place up the form of struggle these gamers had been identified for.

Hijikata had the group on his aspect in January, when he and countryman Jason Kubler gained the Australian Open doubles title.

He gained’t Sunday towards Tiafoe.