Big Foe's lucky lunch? Tiafoe ready for US Open showdown with Rublev

Extra rice. Double chicken. Cheese. And guac.

It’s the play Frances Tiafoe went with at Chipotle on Friday in New York ahead of his third-round clash with Andrey Rublev at the US Open. Will it prove to be a lucky meal?

The American had lunch with Nick Monroe, a player he’s previously shared the doubles court with on multiple occasions. Tiafoe exuded excitement when talking about his impending matchup with a competitor he grew up with.

“I’ve known Andrey for years. He’s been hitting the ball that hard since he was 10 years old,” he said. “It’s going to be a good battle.”

The two have never met on the ATP Tour. As for what the world No. 50 is aiming to do against the No. 5 seed, Tiafoe hopes to exploit one advantage during his version of Friday Night Lights.

“I’ll get the crowd into it early,” declared Tiafoe. “Let’s get rowdy out there.”

Both competitors advanced to the second week at Flushing Meadows last year and both saw their bids ended by Daniil Medvedev—Tiafoe in the round of 16 and Rublev in the quarterfinals.