Tiafoe beat Damm 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a five-set US Open encounter, the decisive blow coming with a break in the seventh game of the final set. He broke three times to Damm's two, proving just enough despite a tight contest.
Tiafoe took the opener after breaking in the fifth game to lead 3-2. Damm levelled with a break in the 10th game of the second set and moved ahead with an early break in the fourth game of the third. Tiafoe forced a decider by breaking in the eighth game of the fourth set, then broke again in the seventh game of the fifth.
The numbers were striking: Damm hit 28 aces to Tiafoe's 12 and won 83% of first-serve points, yet Tiafoe saved 4 of 6 break points he faced and broke serve three times to two.