American tennis star Ben Shelton has reached his first Grand Slam final after defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe in an all-American US Open semi-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The eighth seed recovered from losing the opening set to beat 11th seed Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in a thrilling contest that lasted three hours and 17 minutes.
Both players were competing for a place in their first Grand Slam final and produced an entertaining battle in front of a packed crowd in New York. The pair combined for 74 winners, with Shelton producing 47 of them, alongside 20 aces.
Shelton took control after dropping the first set. He broke Tiafoe early in the second and continued to apply pressure on his opponent’s serve, eventually taking the set 6-3.
The 23-year-old maintained his momentum in the third set, winning several lengthy rallies before securing another crucial break. A gruelling 15-minute game ended with Shelton breaking Tiafoe to move two sets ahead.
Tiafoe responded strongly at the start of the fourth set and had two break points in the opening game, but Shelton survived the pressure. The American then held his nerve late in the set, earning three match points at 6-5.
Although he missed his first opportunity, Tiafoe’s double fault on the next point brought the dramatic contest to an end.
Shelton’s victory also places him in a significant position in American tennis history. He becomes the first Black American male player to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
He is also the first Black male player to reach a Grand Slam singles final since France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the 2008 Australian Open final.
Shelton will now face Germany’s Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final after the top seed defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6).
Zverev is appearing in his third consecutive Grand Slam final after winning the French Open in June and reaching the Wimbledon final in July. He has also reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments this year.
The German has lost just one set since the opening two rounds of the US Open and overcame several difficult moments against Khachanov, saving two set points in the third-set tie-break.
The final will also be a major test for Shelton, who has lost all five of his previous meetings with Zverev.
Shelton is aiming to become the first American man to win the US Open singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003. He called on the home crowd to support him as he attempts to end a 23-year wait for an American men’s Grand Slam champion.
