Ben Shelton defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in an electric US Open semifinal on Friday to secure a title clash with Alexander Zverev and move closer to ending a 23-year American wait for a men’s singles Grand Slam champion. Zverev booked his place in Sunday’s final by fighting past unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (8/6) earlier in the day to close in on a second major title. Victory sent the German top seed into his second final in New York after his runner-up finish in 2020 to Dominic Thiem.
Shelton, the big-hitting 23-year-old who took down defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, now stands one victory away from becoming the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick hoisted the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2003. With the semifinal lineup having already ensured a Black American man would reach the final, Shelton’s win made him the first to do so in New York since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and at any of the majors since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996. French Open winner Zverev was pushed to five sets in each of his opening two rounds, but has now won four straight matches without dropping a set to charge into his third consecutive major final and stand in Shelton’s path.
I hope you guys come and back me; let’s do this for the US. My dad, my mum have sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position today. My dad lost his mom earlier this year, and she’s the reason he was able to play tennis.
This one is for her.” On a poignant evening that began with commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Tiafoe powered ahead 5-4 when Shelton produced a double fault, before raising the roof on the main show court with a hold to bag the first set. This is one of the greatest cities in the world and one of the biggest tragedies. But yeah, thoughts and prayers to everyone involved and affected.” Tiafoe continued to target his opponent’s relatively weaker backhand in the second set, but Shelton dialled up the intensity to draw level and broke in the fifth game of the third set to take a commanding lead. With his booming left-handed serve and his defence proving impenetrable in the high-octane fourth set, eighth seed Shelton heaped the pressure on late and moved into his maiden major final after a double fault by Tiafoe.
But this is where we want to be at the tail end … this is our favourite tournament, our favourite court in the world. The action will resume on Saturday when defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus faces incoming world No 1 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the women’s singles final.
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