Ben Shelton produced one of the biggest wins of his career by defeating two-time US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling five-set quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
The American eighth seed held his nerve in a dramatic final-set tie-break to beat the Spaniard 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-6) after four hours and 28 minutes of intense action.
Alcaraz made a strong start, taking the opening set in a closely contested tie-break. Shelton responded emphatically, however, taking control of the match by winning the second and third sets as the Spaniard struggled with a series of unforced errors.
The defending champion refused to give up and fought back in the fourth set, winning it 6-1 to force a deciding fifth set.
The final set produced another tense battle, with neither player willing to give up ground. Alcaraz appeared to struggle physically during the set, but continued to fight until the match was decided in a tie-break.
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Shelton eventually prevailed 10-6 in the deciding tie-break, sparking huge celebrations from the home crowd that stayed until the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The victory sends Shelton into the US Open semifinals, where he will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe.
The all-American semifinal gives the United States a chance of having a men’s singles finalist at the US Open for the first time since 2003.
After the match, Shelton credited the New York crowd, his family and his team for helping him overcome the four-and-a-half-hour battle.
The 23-year-old described the contest as an “epic match” and praised Alcaraz, calling him one of the greatest champions in tennis despite his young age.
Shelton and Alcaraz shared a warm embrace at the net after the contest, with both players exchanging words of encouragement following one of the most memorable matches of the tournament.
Al Jazeera
