Shelton Stuns Alcaraz in Latest US Open Finish
Shelton Stuns Alcaraz in Latest US Open Finish
The News
American Ben Shelton knocked defending champion Carlos Alcaraz out of the US Open quarterfinals in a five-set marathon that ended at 3:33 a.m. ET Wednesday — the latest finish in the tournament's history.
Shelton, the American eighth seed, beat Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a match that lasted 4 hours, 28 minutes, according to ESPN.
It ended Alcaraz's 18-match Grand Slam winning streak and his bid for back-to-back US Open titles, Reuters reported. Alcaraz, 23, was playing his first tournament since April after a right wrist injury, made 53 unforced errors, and vomited into a towel before the final set.
Shelton next plays No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe on Friday — the first major semifinal or later between black American men in the Open era, per ESPN. One of them will be the first black American man in a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and the US is now guaranteed a man in Sunday's final as it chases its first men's major title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Timeline
Tiafoe rallies from two sets and a break down to beat fellow American Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) to reach his third US Open semifinal.
Shelton and Alcaraz finally walk onto Arthur Ashe Stadium, delayed by a backlog of long matches on the only court hosting the quarterfinals.
Shelton closes it out in a final-set tiebreaker, passing Alcaraz's own 2:50 a.m. win over Jannik Sinner in 2022 as the latest finish in US Open history.
Reactions
"You know, for me, it's always about the people in the crowd," Shelton said in his on-court interview, crediting "the city of New York that showed up tonight until 3 a.m. — with the USA chants until the very end."
The finish drew hard criticism of the schedule. Coach Mathias Degardin called it "disgusting" on X, writing that "the US Open and the USTA sacrifices tennis for an extra $." Courtside photographer Ella Ling wrote that fans staged "a grand exodus" after the first set because "who wants to walk the streets of NY at 3am?"
Martina Navratilova told reporters the night session needs fixing, saying tennis is "the only sport that does this." Tournament director Eric Butorac told ESPN he is weighing a 6 p.m. evening start but that "in New York, it would be a challenge to start before 7 pm."
What's Next
Shelton meets Tiafoe in the all-American semifinal on Friday, with the men's final Sunday.
On the women's side, third seed Jessica Pegula advanced past Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Aryna Sabalenka edged Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova to stay alive for a third straight US Open title.
Poll
Should the US Open stop scheduling matches that can finish after 3 a.m.?
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