Ben Shelton defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe in an electric U.S. Open semi-final on Friday to secure a title showdown with Alexander Zverev.
On a poignant evening that began with commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Shelton came from a set down to beat Tiafoe 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5 and move closer to ending a 23-year American wait for a men’s singles Grand Slam champion.
No home male player has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick triumphed in Flushing Meadows in 2003. Shelton will now have a chance to claim his maiden Grand Slam crown.
Earlier, Zverev booked his place in the final with a 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6) victory against Karen Khachanov to move a step closer to a second Grand Slam title.
Shelton said: “First, ‘Foe’ is like a big brother to me. This is where we want to be, at the tail end of this tournament.
“I know what my goal is, what my job is. I’m going for it here. Let’s do this for the USA!
“One more thing. It’s a difficult day to be out here playing. My thoughts and prayers go to all the families who were impacted by 9/11.”
Tiafoe powered ahead 5-4 when Shelton produced a double fault, before raising the roof with a hold to bag the first set.
Tiafoe continued to target his opponent’s backhand in the second set but serving at 2-1 Shelton thought he had clocked the fastest serve in Grand Slam history with a 158 mph bullet. However, Hawk-Eye and the USTA later confirmed through review that it only hit 144 mph.
With new balls at 3-3, Shelton started with a 125 mph serve – Tiafoe got his racket up almost in self-defence and ended up getting knocked backward to the court – and followed it with serves clocked at 144, 139 and 140, as he dialled up the intensity to draw level.
He then broke in the fifth game of the third set to take a commanding lead in the match.
With his booming left-handed serve and his defence proving impenetrable in the high-octane fourth set, eighth seed Shelton heaped the pressure on late to wrap up an emotional win.
The 23-year-old finished with 47 winners, including 20 aces, to book his place in the title match.
Zverev downs Khachanov to close in second major
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Highlights of the US Open semi-final between Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov
The French Open champion had been pushed to five sets in each of his opening two rounds but has now won four straight matches without dropping a set, as he reached his third consecutive major final.
The victory sent him to his second title decider at Flushing Meadows, after finishing runner-up in 2020 to Dominic Thiem.
“After the second round at 3am, me and my team were in the dressing room actually laughing at how bad I was playing. That sense of humour helped me,” Zverev said on court.
“I have improved a little bit, otherwise I wouldn’t be in the US Open final.”
From ‘pointless’ start to the final
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Watch the moment Zverev goes around the net with a stunning winner over Khachanov
The German had played all his previous matches during the night sessions, existing in a perpetual loop of darkness and midnight finishes.
The 29-year-old has capitalised on the absence of Jannik Sinner and defeats for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, as well as a kind draw, to reach a third consecutive Grand Slam final.
“I really started off the tournament, and I was like, ‘Well, this is pointless because I’m not going to do anything here,’ and here I am sitting and preparing for a Sunday final,” Zverev told reporters.
A solitary break was all Zverev needed to pinch a tight first set from his opponent and when he broke again at start of the second, a routine afternoon looked on the cards.
However, a double fault allowed Khachanov back on serve and instead Zverev became embroiled in a tie-break, at one point trailing 5-3 and only winning it after a lung-busting 35-shot rally.
The third set went the same way and Khachanov had set points at 6-4, but two wayward forehands and a Zverev ace gave him match point which he took at the first attempt.
A partisan crowd in New York on Sunday
Rather than fearing a partisan crowd on Sunday, Zverev said he was looking forward to it.
“I think it’s going to be a fantastic feeling playing, you know, a final in a sold-out Arthur Ashe and not in an empty one,” he said. “For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they’re fair.”
Navratilova: There are no asterisks in Zverev’s successes
Zverev ‘is cooking’ according to Martina Navratilova
Sky Sports Tennis’ Martina Navratilova:
“What a year Zverev has had at the majors. It’s been outstanding stuff.
“Okay, Sinner lost early at the French Open and Alcaraz didn’t play, but there are no asterisks, he still had to get through even as a favourite.
“And that has given the confidence to play better tennis after that. I think he played better at Wimbledon than he did at Roland Garros, and now he started off badly here by his own admission, but he hasn’t lost a set the last four matches.
“He’s cooking now.”
The US Open is live on Sky Sports from August 30. Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. You can also watch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from 25-27 September live on Sky Sports.