Ben Shelton won yet another all-American clash, this time beating Frances Tiafoe in the 2023 US Open quarterfinals.
It's been a year of Grand Slams for the 20-year-old American. First, he reached the 2023 Australian Open quarterfinals, in what was his first tournament outside of the United States of America.
However, Shelton then couldn't back up his result with another showing, as he completed his first full year on the ATP Tour, experiencing clay and grass courts for the first time in his life. Therefore, he couldn't win any back-to-back matches on ATP-level throughout the whole season.
But that changed once he hit the ground in New York. The 2023 US Open proved to be another breakthrough ground for Shelton, who is now set also for a Top 20 breakthrough in the ATP Rankings.
After taking down compatriot Tommy Paul in the fourth round, Shelton had to play another all-American match, this time facing last year's semifinalist, Frances Tiafoe, who truly loves playing at Flushing Meadows.
But it was Shelton who started better. The 20-year-old had break points in three games in the opening set, while not giving his opponent any chances. He used two of those, winning the first set of the match 6-2.
Yet, Tiafoe would soon fight back. Although his opponent had more break points also in the second set, the 25-year-old was more effective, using one of his two chances to break, winning the second set 6-3.
Despite both players possessing a really strong serve, the third set was a battle of breaks. First, Tiafoe broke once, then Shelton broke back, two times, the same followed from Tiafoe, and then once again, Shelton broke back.
Eventually, we saw three holds to love and the third set had to be decided in a tie-break. Both players had set points, but Shelton used his chances better, converting his third set point of the set, and winning the tie-break 9-7.
After the third-set heart-break, Tiafoe didn't seem to be able to match his opponent's pace in the fourth set. This time, Shelton had three break points and used two of his chances, winning the third set and the match 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 to reach his maiden semifinals on a Grand Slam level.
The match was a real battle, and both players certainly shared their opinions. After his victory, Shelton spoke to the press, describing the conditions and how difficult it was for both players to catch their breath.
"Yeah, I think tonight was a real physical battle. That was the true test. You know, you have Frances Tiafoe on the other side of the court and you have the weather that you had in there. You know, it was pretty muggy, pretty hot. 75% of the match I think both of us were finishing points fairly tired, trying to catch our breath."
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