Shelton beats Alcaraz to claim US Open semis spot

Ben Shelton secured the biggest win of his career by defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set US Open quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday.

The eighth-seeded American prevailed 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) after four hours and 28 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, sending him into the semifinals for the third time at a Grand Slam and setting up an all-American meeting with Frances Tiafoe. It was also the latest finish in US Open history.

Shelton had never beaten Alcaraz in their previous three meetings, but he produced a composed performance against the second seed. 

Alcaraz won the opening-set tiebreak and appeared to be in control, only for Shelton to respond by winning nine consecutive games across the second and third sets.

The American’s serve was central to the result, while his aggressive returns and angled groundstrokes repeatedly forced Alcaraz into difficult positions. 

Shelton took the ball early and moved forward whenever the opportunity came, preventing the Spaniard from settling into the rallies that had carried him through the earlier rounds.

Alcaraz fought back in the fourth set, reduced his errors, and took control of the longer exchanges. The defending champion forced a decider, but neither player could establish a lasting advantage in the final set.

The match went to a deciding tiebreak, where Shelton opened a 5-1 lead. Alcaraz responded by winning several points in succession, but Shelton held his nerve and sealed the victory with an ace. The win ended Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam matches.

It also closed Alcaraz’s title defense dream and brought his return from a four-and-a-half-month absence to an end. 

The Spaniard had missed the summer hard-court swing because of a right wrist injury but had looked sharp during the opening rounds in New York.

Shelton’s victory gives American men’s tennis another opportunity to end a long wait for a Grand Slam champion.