The most anticipated match of the tournament lived up to its promise and after five sets full of drama, tension and electric shots it was Frances Tiafoe who outlasted fellow countryman Ben Shelton.
Ultimately, the 26-year-old Tiafoe’s experience was decisive. Despite wasting 16 of 21 break points, he held his nerve and tamed his own shooting instincts to some extent, making him more solid than his 21-year-old opponent.
“It was just one of those back-and-forth, back-and-forths, and I just couldn’t capitalize on the chances that I had, and when he had them today, he really came through in the big moments,” Tiafoe said afterward. “I thought since I’ve been on tour, today was probably the best that anybody has returned my serve that I’ve ever seen. There was one early in the match where I went big from wide, like 130, and he hit it clean down the line.”
Shelton served well, especially on break points, but he made far too many unforced errors – 58 to be exact. His forehand was particularly unpredictable, as he hit the ball with completely unnecessary force.
This was a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals, which Shelton won. And as in 2023, the prize is likely to be a date with Novak Djokovic, who faced Australian Alexei Popyrin in the night session.
Frances Tiafoe won a tough third-round match against Ben Shelton in five sets at the US Open
Tiafoe, 26, and number 20 in the ATP rankings, caused a surprise despite being older than number 13 Shelton
Shelton, 21, struggled in the final set and quickly fell behind 3-1, while Tiafoe won quickly
Djokovic is Djokovic, but it is baffling that his match was chosen for that primetime slot over this one. A quintessential American clash between two consummate showmen, this was the definition of a late-night match.
Ashe was less than a third full at the start and although everyone came in slowly, the atmosphere was not nearly as electric as under the artificial lights.
“It was supposed to be an evening game, but it is what it is,” a smiling Tiafoe said after the four-hour afternoon performance.
These two looked like the superstars they are, both sleeveless, Tiafoe in lavender, Shelton in blue-fading-to-pink. These two are good friends and on more than one occasion they looked at each other across the court, not out of spite, but simply to share the joy of a great rally or the tension of a crucial point.
Shelton was clearly the better player in the first set, but Tiafoe responded.
At 3-3 and then again at 4-4 in the second set, Tiafoe was 0-40 on the Shelton serve, but twice the younger man blasted his way to safety. He saved eight break points in those two games, one with a 139mph ace. There were plenty of good serves, but Tiafoe had enough charisma that he should have taken advantage.
But he came back at 5-5 and this time he only needed one chance to break. He jumped to his chair and roared into the crowd and the match really came to life.
Tiafoe’s win over Shelton on Thursday was revenge for last year’s quarterfinal loss in Queens
At the start of the third set, Shelton’s coach and father Bryan, himself a former world number 52, gave his son the following advice from the stands: ‘Take this guy’s position. Take the ball earlier and don’t go too far back.’
Legalizing on-field coaching has its pros and cons, but what a fascinating insight into game strategy.
Shelton did indeed come on court and took a 6-0 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. Tiafoe dragged him back to 6-5, but Shelton charged the gun and threw a 143 mph serve, the fastest serve of the tournament so far.
But Shelton began to tire and his play became uneven at the edges. Tiafoe redoubled his intensity and stormed through the final two sets.
One American challenger is gone, while another continues in his quest for the first American men’s title since Andy Roddick in 2003.