Ben Shelton, a player known for his powerful serve, defeated his fellow American Francis Tiafoe in the quarterfinal match over four sets on Friday. This victory allowed him to reach his first Grand Slam final in his career, where he will face Alexander Zverev for the US Open title.
The eighth seed, Shelton, recorded 20 aces during his triumphant performance, concluding the match with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The tournament leader, Alexander Zverev, managed to overcome Russian player Karen Khachanov, who was ranked 50th, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (8/6), thus qualifying for his third consecutive Grand Slam final. This run earned him his debut major title at the French Open and a silver medal finish at Wimbledon.
Shelton, who previously beat reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, now has a chance to become the first American to win a Grand Slam title since 2003, when Andy Roddick achieved this success at the US Open.
In an interview on court, Shelton shared his feelings: 'It is very emotional. My parents did a lot for me to be in this situation today. My father lost his mother earlier this year, and she is the reason he was able to play tennis. Without her, there would not be Ben Shelton. So this match is dedicated to her. And I will need your energy on Sunday. I am going to give my all on the court.'
Zverev, meanwhile, expressed a desire to prevent the realization of the 'American dream,' stating: 'I hope I can prevent the American dream from coming true on Sunday,' said the German.
The semifinal match, which was attended by a large audience including tennis legends such as Serena Williams, Stan Smith, and Lindsay Davenport, as well as actors Ben Stiller and Rami Malek and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, was intense. Tiafoe initially won the first set after Shelton uncharacteristically made a double fault, trailing 5-4.
At the start of the second set, they traded games, but Shelton capitalized on Tiafoe's inconsistent serving to take a game, bringing the score to 5-3 and leveling the match chances. Momentum completely shifted to Shelton, who then took another game, and subsequently won the set thanks to a ninth-set game that stretched to seven deuces.
Tension mounted in the fourth set, but Shelton maintained his composure while Tiafoe raised his level of play and managed to secure the decisive game in the final set.
On Sunday, he will face the experienced opponent in Zverev, who gradually improved his game after two five-set matches early in the tournament. Zverev thwarted Khachanov's hopes of reaching his first Grand Slam final, although the Russian player showed tenacious resistance in the second and third sets. Khachanov had previously lost to Zverev in the Tokyo Olympic gold medal match in 2021.
'A two-set victory, but not an easy one,' noted Zverev. 'He played incredibly well, fought incredibly well.'
Khachanov twice held Zverev at set point in the second-set tiebreak with a powerful forehand and a brilliant down-the-line backhand before Zverev closed out the set. In the tense third set, neither player could create a set point. However, when Khachanov took the lead 6-4 in the tiebreak, he dropped both set points due to forehand errors. Zverev converted his 15th ace and secured the victory when Khachanov sent a forehand long.
'In the second and third sets, I think both outcomes could have happened,' said Zverev. 'I just played slightly better at certain moments.'
A somber moment was observed during the national anthem ceremonies in both the day and evening sessions, marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks that struck the Twin Towers in New York. Shelton addressed the crowd, saying: 'This is a difficult day to be here. My thoughts and prayers are with all families affected by 9/11.'
The women's final will take place on Saturday, where Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan will attempt to deny Aryna Sabalenka a third consecutive title shortly after she interrupted the Belarusian's nearly two-year dominance in the world rankings by reaching the semifinals.