James Blake, Mardy Fish, Sam Querrey, John Isner, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz all carried the hopes of American men’s tennis deep into the second week of major championships, only to thrash against the ceiling of the sport’s European hegemony time and again. Now Ben Shelton gets his chance. The fearless 23-year-old from Atlanta surged into his first career grand slam final on a feverish Friday night at the US Open, completing a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 fightback over Frances Tiafoe in a pulsating all-American semi-final beneath the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The result leaves him one victory from becoming the first man from the United States to win one of the sport’s four bedrock tournaments since Roddick triumphed here in 2003. Shelton, the No 8 seed, will face top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany in Sunday’s final after turning back a fast start from the 11th-seeded Tiafoe with his devastating serve, landing 75% of his first deliveries and pounding 20 aces before breaking at the last possible moment to avoid a fourth-set tiebreak. Super excited to get another opportunity to go out there and show my best on Sunday.” A full house understood the assignment from the first ball.
Gone was the ambient drone of chatter that so often hangs over night sessions inside the world’s biggest tennis stadium. Instead, nearly 24,000 spectators were dialed-in on every point, roaring equally for both players as the momentum ebbed and flowed over more than three absorbing hours. Tiafoe struck first at the business end of an otherwise straightforward first set.
Shelton was serving at four-all, 30-love when he abruptly lost his bearings, dropping four of the next five points and double-faulting on break point. Tiafoe coolly held at love to serve out the opening set after 45 minutes. Shelton’s response was immediate, breaking at love for 2-0 in the second.
Tiafoe broke back straight away, but the younger American increasingly leaned on the howitzer first serve that has powered his rapid ascent into the sport’s elite. Serving at three-all, he uncorked missiles of 125mph, 144mph, 139mph and 140mph in succession, the last two aces. He broke in the next game and served out the set with a first serve topping out at 149mph.
The third shifted into a more attritional affair. Tiafoe survived break points at one-all after a series of extended rallies but could not escape at two-all. Shelton crushed a series of backhand winners to break at love before forcing Tiafoe into the deep waters of an extraordinary 15-minute, 20-point service game at 3-5.
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