Shelton ends Alcaraz’s title defense in late-night match, to face Tiafoe in US Open semifinals
Shelton secures victory in marathon match
Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz‘s title reign in a late-night match at the U.S. Open, securing a victory that concluded at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday. Shelton’s win came after a five-set battle, with the final score recorded as 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7). This match marked the latest finish in the tournament’s history.
Shelton described the contest as a “war” and noted that it was the most enjoyable match of his career. He fired a 146 mph ace to seal the win against Alcaraz, who is considered one of the sport’s greatest champions. The victory guarantees an American representative in Sunday’s final, as the U.S. seeks its first men’s major title since Andy Roddick‘s win in 2003.
Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, saw his 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments come to an end. The match lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes. Despite the loss, Alcaraz expressed pride in his fight, stating he was physically tired but found a way to push himself. He had previously been involved in the U.S. Open’s latest finish in 2022, when he defeated Jannik Sinner in a match that ended at 2:50 a.m. during his run to his first Grand Slam title.
Shelton’s path to the semifinals included taking control of the match by winning nine consecutive games, moving from early in the second set to a 3-0 lead in the third. Alcaraz, playing in his first tournament since April due to a right wrist injury, rallied despite vomiting before the final set. Shelton ultimately prevailed in the tiebreaker, utilizing powerful serves that can exceed 140 mph, along with some errors from Alcaraz.
Tiafoe stages comeback to reach semifinals
Frances Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed, also advanced to the semifinals, marking his third appearance at this stage of the U.S. Open. He achieved this by defeating Alex Michelsen in a five-set match with a score of 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) on Tuesday. Tiafoe will now face Shelton in an all-American semifinal showdown.
Tiafoe’s victory involved a significant comeback after falling two sets behind. Michelsen, who had not dropped a set in the tournament, was serving for the match with a 5-4 lead in the third set but could not close it out. Tiafoe then found his rhythm, breaking Michelsen twice to take the third set. He continued his surge in the fourth set, breaking Michelsen two more times to force a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth set, Michelsen initially regained momentum with an early service break, but Tiafoe broke back. The set eventually went to a 10-point tiebreaker, where Tiafoe secured a crucial mini-break with a cross-court return at 4-4. Tiafoe acknowledged a slow start to his match, describing his early performance as “not good,” but noted that the best-of-five format allowed him time to recover.
Tiafoe’s achievement places him alongside Andre Agassi as the only American men to reach three U.S. Open semifinals this century. Following his performance, he is set to re-enter the top 10 in the rankings for the first time in three years. Michelsen, ranked No. 46, now holds an 0-6 record in matches that extend to a fifth set.
Other quarterfinal results and upcoming matches
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, advanced by defeating Linda Noskova in a three-set match, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (7). Sabalenka’s win keeps her hopes alive for a third consecutive U.S. Open title. She started strong, taking a 5-2 lead, but Noskova fought back to force a tiebreaker in the first set, which Sabalenka ultimately dominated. Noskova, a 21-year-old, delivered a strong performance in the second set, winning 83 percent of points on her first serve and hitting 14 winners.
In another women’s quarterfinal, Jessica Pegula outlasted Emma Navarro in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula overcame a slow start to maintain her quest for her first career Grand Slam title. The third set between Sabalenka and Noskova saw both players exchange service breaks, with Sabalenka eventually prevailing in a tiebreaker after falling behind 3-2. The U.S. Open continues with additional quarterfinal matches scheduled for Wednesday.
The tournament has seen several matches extend late into the night, with thousands of fans remaining in Arthur Ashe Stadium until the end of the contests. Shelton benefited from a home-crowd boost, with fans chanting his name and “USA! USA!” even against the popular Alcaraz. Three of the four singles quarterfinals went to match tiebreakers on a marathon day of competition.
The upcoming schedule for Wednesday includes men’s matches such as Alexander Blockx against Karen Khachanov at 2 p.m. ET, and Alexander Zverev against Botic van de Zandschulp at 7:30 p.m. ET. On the women’s side, matches include Elena Rybakina against Qinwen Zheng at 11:30 a.m. ET, and Coco Gauff against Mirra Andreeva at 12:30 p.m. ET.
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Source: apnews.com
