Ben Shelton is one victory away from ending the United States’ long wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion after winning an all-American US Open semifinal against Frances Tiafoe on Friday.The No. 8 seed recovered from losing the opening set to beat Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 and book his place in his first major final.Shelton will face top seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match, with the German having earlier defeated Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6).A victory over French Open champion Zverev would give the United States its first men’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton said. “I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do it for the USA.”Zverev, meanwhile, is looking to add a second major title this year after finally breaking his Grand Slam drought at the French Open.“Hopefully I can not make the American dream come true on Sunday,” Zverev said.
Shelton survives another demanding stretch
Shelton’s run to the final has come despite an exhausting schedule.The 23-year-old from Georgia defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday, the latest ending to a match in US Open history.Yet Shelton showed no signs of running out of energy against Tiafoe.The two Americans had both needed match tiebreakers in their respective quarterfinals, but Shelton produced the stronger finish when it mattered most.“This is where we want to be: at the tail end of this tournament,” Shelton said. “This is both of our favorite tournament in the world, our favorite court in the world and to be able to light it up in front of (this crowd) is the best feeling that there is.”Shelton was less than a year old when Roddick won his US Open title. Now, more than two decades later, he has a chance to become the American who finally brings the men’s Grand Slam trophy back home.
Tiafoe’s semifinal jinx continues
Tiafoe’s latest US Open campaign ended with another semifinal defeat.The American is now 0-3 in US Open semifinals, with each of his last two losses coming against compatriots. Taylor Fritz defeated him in 2024 before going on to lose the final to Jannik Sinner.Tiafoe had also produced one of the tournament’s most dramatic comebacks in the quarterfinals, recovering from two sets down before overcoming fellow American Alex Michelsen after erasing a 3-0 deficit in the deciding set.He began the semifinal as the cleaner player. After a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which featured a giant American flag unfurled across the court, Tiafoe made only three unforced errors in the opening set compared with 14 from Shelton.Shelton’s double fault at 4-4 handed Tiafoe the break, and the latter closed out the opening set.But the momentum shifted quickly.
Shelton’s serve changes the contest
Shelton responded by increasing the power on his serve and eventually finished the match with 20 aces.At 3-3 in the second set, serving with new balls, he opened with a 125 mph delivery. Tiafoe managed to get his racket to the ball almost in self-defense but was knocked backwards onto the court.Shelton then followed with serves measured at 144, 139 and 140 mph. The final two produced aces and helped him establish control of the set.The third set featured another major test.Tiafoe fought desperately to hold serve in the final game, but the battle lasted 15 minutes and 20 points before he sent a forehand into the net. Shelton took the set and moved within one of reaching the final.The eighth seed then completed the job in the fourth, closing out the match 7-5.
Star-studded crowd watches American showdown
The semifinal attracted a high-profile crowd, with sports and entertainment stars turning up for the all-American contest.Serena Williams, Jalen Brunson and US soccer player Trinity Rodman, Shelton’s girlfriend, were among those in attendance, alongside actors Salma Hayek, Ben Stiller and Rami Malek.The atmosphere reflected the significance of the occasion, with both Shelton and Tiafoe attempting to become the latest American man to reach a Grand Slam final.Only Shelton managed to take the next step.
Zverev stands between Shelton and history
Standing in Shelton’s way is a player who knows exactly what it means to wait for a first major.Zverev had long been regarded as the best men’s player without a Grand Slam title before finally winning the French Open this year. He then reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.The German has gone 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season and is now back in another major final.“Sometimes just things go your way and I feel like I’ve had a lot of struggles at the major level, I was so close so many times, and maybe this year God has said that this is going to be your year and just enjoy the time on the court,” Zverev said.Sunday’s final will also give Zverev another chance to erase one of the most painful memories of his career.In the 2020 US Open final, he won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem but eventually lost in a fifth-set tiebreak. Thiem became the first man since 1949 to win the US Open after dropping the opening two sets.Zverev has been far more composed after taking early leads this year. He has now won 13 consecutive sets after becoming the first No. 1-seeded man to play five-set matches in each of the first two rounds of a major.Now, Shelton stands between him and another Grand Slam trophy, while the American has the chance to do something no US men’s player has managed since Roddick in 2003.
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