Frances Tiafoe advances to third round at US Open with straight-sets win over Sebastian Ofner… and says he thinks it’s time for an American man to win the event for the first time since 2003

Frances Tiafoe picked up a straight-sets victory over Austria’s Sebastian Ofner at the US Open (6-3 6-1 6-4) to advance to the third round of the men’s tournament, which hasn’t seen an American winner in 20 years. 

‘I’m happy with it tonight,’ Tiafoe told ESPN afterwards, adding that he thinks that this could be the time for an American to win the US Open men’s tournament for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2003.

‘Me and Taylor [Fritz] are top 10,’ Tiafoe said. ‘[Tommy Paul is] knocking on the door. We all grew up together.. American tennis is in a good place. Hopefully we all keep going and we stop that streak of Roddick in 2003. Hopefully it happens here.’ 

Despite Tiafoe’s optimism, it was an up-and-down day for American men in Queens.  

While 28th-ranked Christopher Eubanks fell to France’s Benjamin Bonzi 7-6 2-6 6-2 7-6, 14th-ranked Tommy Paul came back from a two-set deficit to beat Russia’s Roman Safiullin, 3-6 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-3.