Ben Shelton beats defending champ Carlos Alcaraz in U.S. Open match that ends after 3:30 a.m.
Shelton will play Francis Tiafoe in the semifinals — a matchup that guarantees an American man in the final
Ben Shelton had gone toe-to-toe with Carlos Alcaraz for five exhausting sets and finally, at 3:33 a.m. ET Wednesday, came the chance to end the U.S. Open champion's title reign.
asserted
chance → beat → reign
Shelton fired an ace at 146 m.p.h. — a ball that Alcaraz couldn't have gotten back even with fresh legs.
asserted
Alcaraz → fire → legs
That gave Shelton a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) victory in a marathon tussle that was the latest-finishing match in U.S. Open history.
asserted
that → give → history
It was a war," Shelton said.
asserted
Shelton → say → ?
It was the most enjoyable match I've had in my career, for sure."
asserted
I → have → career
Alcaraz had his 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments end in a match that lasted 4 hours, 28 minutes.
asserted
that → have → hours
He fought deep into the night and early into the next morning in a bid to get his hands on the trophy again, battling back even as he vomited before the start of the final set.
asserted
he → fight → set
Alcaraz started the year winning the Australian Open, but was playing his first tournament since April after returning from a right wrist injury.
asserted
Alcaraz → start → injury
"I'm leaving happy and my head held high," Alcaraz said.
asserted
Alcaraz → leave → ?
"The truth is, I wanted to win … but also our goal was to leave the tournament having played matches and staying healthy."
asserted
goal → want → matches
The U.S. Open craves its night matches and players love the energy the fans provide — even when a number of matches have already gone past 2 a.m. this year.
asserted
number → crave → a.m.
Thousands stayed to the end, with Arthur Ashe Stadium perhaps still one-third full for the finish.
asserted
Thousands → stay → finish
Shelton benefited from a home-crowd boost even against the popular Alcaraz, with fans chanting his name along with "USA! USA!"
asserted
fans → benefit → USA
"It's incredible," Shelton said.
asserted
Shelton → say → ?
"I always say that this is the greatest sports city in the world; I say that this is the greatest stadium in the world.
asserted
this → say → world
I'm just hoping that my best friend and my sister over there don't have to be at work at 6 a.m. in three hours."
asserted
friend → hop → hours
Three of the four singles quarterfinals went to match tiebreakers on a marathon day, which started with Aryna Sabalenka edging Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova to keep her hopes alive of a third straight U.S. Open title.
asserted
Sabalenka → go → title
Alcaraz had played in the previous latest finish at the U.S. Open when he outlasted Jannik Sinner in a match that finished at 2:50 a.m. in the 2022 quarterfinals, en route to his first Grand Slam title at 19.
asserted
that → play → 19
Tiafoe storms back
Shelton, who won his second consecutive Canadian Open title last month, will next play No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe, who kept coming back until he had reached his third U.S. Open semifinal, beating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6).
asserted
he → storm → Michelsen
Shelton seized control by winning nine straight games from early in the second set until he had a 3-0 lead in the third.
asserted
he → seize → third
Alcaraz ran off four straight points in the tiebreaker to go ahead 5-3, but Shelton came back behind some of his powerful serves that can exceed 140 m.p.h., along with some mistakes from Alcaraz.
asserted
that → run → Alcaraz
The Shelton-Tiafoe matchup guarantees a U.S. player will reach the men's final.
asserted
player → guarantee → final
The last Grand Slam title for an American man occurred in 2003, when Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open.
asserted
Roddick → occur → Open
Tiafoe reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2022 and it didn't initially appear he would be going back, as Michelsen continued his dominant run through his breakout tournament.
asserted
Michelsen → reach → tournament
Michelsen won the first two sets and served with a 5-4 lead in the third, but couldn't finish it off.
asserted
Michelsen → win → it
He hadn't lost a set in the tournament until Tiafoe stormed back.
asserted
Tiafoe → lose → tournament
Tiafoe said his performance to start the match was slow and flat.
asserted
performance → say → match
"It wasn't good, let's put it that way.
asserted
's → let → it
It wasn't good," he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
"Three out of five is a blessing, because you have time to get it together.
asserted
you → have → it
I definitely waited for the last minute."
asserted
I → wait → minute
Michelsen, ranked No. 46, fell to 0-6 in matches that went to a fifth set.
asserted
that → rank → set
It is also certain that a new U.S. Open's champion will be crowned, as none of Wednesday's quarterfinalists on the other side of the draw, led by top-ranked Alexander Zverev, has ever won the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
With files from CBC News
asserted
none → crown → News
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