Ben Shelton produced the biggest victory of his career after beating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic five-set US Open quarter-final that ended at a record-breaking 3:34am local time.
The American eighth seed defeated Alcaraz 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) after four hours and 28 minutes of thrilling tennis on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
A large crowd stayed until the early hours of Wednesday morning to witness a remarkable contest, with Shelton eventually holding his nerve in a tense deciding match tie-break.
Shelton ends Alcaraz’s title defence
The victory marked a major breakthrough for Shelton, who had never beaten a top-three player in 17 previous attempts.
He had also lost all three of his previous meetings against Alcaraz, making the result even more significant for the 23-year-old.
“It is incredible. I always say that this is the greatest stadium in the world,” Shelton said after receiving a standing ovation from the remaining crowd.
“For me, it’s always about the people in the crowd — whether it’s my coaches and my team, all of my family and friends.
“The city of New York that showed up tonight until 3am, that’s what kept me going.”
Shelton’s victory also boosted hopes of an American men’s singles champion at the US Open for the first time since Andy Roddick won the title in 2003.
Momentum swings in marathon contest
The match started late at around 11pm after delays caused by Tuesday’s earlier matches, but the quality remained high throughout an unpredictable five-set battle.
Alcaraz edged a closely contested opening set on a tie-break, although Shelton had fought back after the Spaniard broke for a 6-5 lead.
Shelton responded brilliantly as Alcaraz’s level dropped, winning nine consecutive games to dominate the second set and take control of the third.
The American combined his powerful serve with aggressive returning and disciplined defending, putting the defending champion under sustained pressure.
However, Alcaraz showed why he is one of the world’s best players by mounting a remarkable comeback.
The Spaniard saved two break points early in the fourth set before breaking Shelton twice to force a deciding fifth set. Despite appearing physically exhausted during the match, Alcaraz continued to fight as the clock moved beyond 2:30am.
Alcaraz errors prove costly
Neither player could find a decisive break in the fifth set, sending the contest into a 10-point match tie-break.
Shelton initially led 3-1 before Alcaraz recovered to move 5-3 ahead. But the momentum changed once again as the Spaniard began making costly mistakes.
Alcaraz finished the match with 53 unforced errors, and Shelton took advantage by winning five of the next six points.
The American then sealed the biggest win of his career with a powerful ace.
Alcaraz had entered the US Open after more than four months out with a wrist injury and was playing just his fifth singles match since April. He had exceeded expectations by reaching the quarter-finals, including a commanding win over Tommy Paul.
But his lack of match fitness appeared to catch up with him during the demanding contest.
What happens next?
Shelton has now reached the third Grand Slam semi-final of his career and will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe for a place in the US Open final.
Tiafoe booked his place in the last four after producing a remarkable comeback to defeat Alex Michelsen.
The semi-final guarantees an American player in the men’s final, with Shelton now carrying the hopes of the home crowd as he chases a first Grand Slam title.
For Alcaraz, his title defence has ended in disappointment, but his run to the quarter-finals provided encouraging signs following his long injury lay-off.
Shelton, meanwhile, will have little time to recover after a historic night in New York, but after finally overcoming one of the world’s top players, he will head into the semi-final believing he can go all the way.
