Big Ben in NY! Shelton stuns Carlos Alcaraz in a US Open classic

[[{“value”:”

Ben Shelton was the happiest man in New York as the clock ticked past 3.33 am in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium. The American star registered the biggest win of his career and his first victory against a top-three-ranked player, knocking out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a match that will go down as one of the greatest in US Open history.

Shelton and Alcaraz took the court at 11 pm (local time) after the evening’s opening match between Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro stretched to three sets. Despite the late scheduling, a packed stadium awaited the two tennis stars, and they did not disappoint.

In a cagey first set, Alcaraz held his nerve to win the tie-break and take an early lead, but any murmurs about this being a quick finish were put to bed by an inspired Shelton who found his top form in the second set.

Shelton dominated the second set from the off, attacking Alcaraz’s serve. While the Spaniard managed to hold his opening service game, Shelton took complete control from there, winning nine consecutive games against a struggling Alcaraz to claim both the second and third sets. 

A late-night stomach issue appeared to hit Alcaraz hard, with the Spaniard visibly throwing up into his towel during the changeover. However, the defending champion engineered a remarkable turnaround to claim the fourth set 6-1.

Records tumble as Ben Shelton seals a historic win

The final set went into a 10-point tie-break as Alcaraz and Shelton both managed to hold their service games. Such were the fine margins that even the tie-break was tied at 6-6 during the second changeover, but then there was a breakthrough.

Shelton broke Alcaraz’s serve and closed out the match with a signature big serve, sealing a historic 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) victory. Lasting 4 hours and 29 minutes, the match finished at 3.33 am, marking the latest finish in US Open history.

With this win, Shelton ended a 17-match losing streak against top-3 players. The 23-year-old also became the first-ever American to beat Carlos Alcaraz in a Grand Slam. 

Ben Shelton will now face Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semi-final, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final.

“}]]