NEW YORK, Sept 9: American tennis player Ben Shelton pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the US Open by defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five set quarter final thriller on Wednesday.
Shelton prevailed 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a marathon contest that lasted four hours and 28 minutes. The match ended at 3:33 a.m., bringing an extraordinary night of tennis to a dramatic conclusion.
The victory ended Alcaraz’s 18 match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments and denied the Spaniard another run towards the US Open title.
The opening set was closely contested, with Alcaraz eventually taking the tiebreak. Shelton responded strongly in the second set, however, taking control of the match with aggressive baseline play and powerful serving.
The American continued his momentum in the third set before Alcaraz fought back decisively in the fourth. The defending champion appeared to have regained control, setting up a tense deciding set.
Neither player was willing to give ground in the fifth set, forcing the contest into another tiebreak. Shelton maintained his composure when it mattered most and secured the biggest win of his career.
The result also marked an important milestone for the 23-year-old American, who had previously struggled to make a deep run at his home Grand Slam.
Shelton will now advance to the semi-finals, where he will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who earlier produced another remarkable comeback to defeat Alex Michelsen in five sets. Tiafoe recovered from two sets down before winning 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6).
The all-American semi-final guarantees that the United States will have a representative in the men’s singles final, adding further significance to the tournament’s latest chapter.
For Alcaraz, the defeat brings an unexpected end to his title defence after another highly competitive campaign. For Shelton, it represents an opportunity to reach his first US Open final and challenge for a maiden Grand Slam crown.