Tennis
Carlos Alcaraz’s title defence ended by Ben Shelton in latest US Open finish
Carlos Alcaraz’s title defence was ended by Ben Shelton in the latest finish to a match in US Open history.
The Spaniard was sick into a towel and gasping for breath but fought like a champion in a five-set marathon.
However, Shelton held his nerve in a dramatic deciding-set tie-break to win 6-7 (5) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6 (10-7) in a match which finished at 3.33am local time.
Three long matches on Arthur Ashe Stadium earlier on Tuesday meant Alcaraz and Shelton did not step on to court until gone 11pm.
Martina Navratilova was not impressed at yet another early-morning finish, the former world number one posting on X: “Something has got to give… this is not OK and it is not normal… no other sport might start at 11AM or 11PM. In the same event.”
Nevertheless Alcaraz, playing his first tournament since April due to a wrist injury, said: “It’s been a pleasure to come here and compete, playing these kind of matches, being healthy.
“It was close, it really was close, so I’m just a little bit disappointed about not getting the win at the end.
“But I’m just happy, I’m proud of myself about how I fought. Physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and physically give extra.”
American southpaw Shelton had his fellow 23-year-old on the canvas after one scintillating point in the first set tie-break, and Alcaraz was almost down and out when he trailed 5-3.
But a Shelton error and two swishes of the Alcaraz forehand later he had set point, taking it when the eighth seed netted a backhand.
Yet Alcaraz seemed to be sleepwalking in the second set, and at 3-0 in the third he had lost nine games in a row.
He created a break point at 5-3 after another rally for the highlights reel, but was left bent double with exhaustion after Shelton held to move ahead.
Yet second seed Alcaraz dug deep and found the reserves to break at the start of the fourth, before ushering a cameraman away to prevent him filming him throwing up into his towel.
Shelton was still firing down huge serves in the fifth, and in the tie-break a 146mph missile edged him ahead before an ace ended Alcaraz’s reign.
“I always say that this is the greatest sports city in the world. This is the greatest stadium in the world,” said an elated Shelton.
“I’m just hoping that my best friend and my sister over there don’t have to be at work at 6am, in three hours. It’d be huge from their employers to let them have the day off.
“Sharing the court with Carlos is an absolute honour and I cherish every moment that I have out here.”
Alcaraz can blame Alex Michelsen for his late night.
The 22-year-old was serving for the match, two sets and a break up, against fellow American Frances Tiafoe.
But unseeded Michelsen tightened up dramatically, with back-to-back double-faults gifting Tiafoe a way back in.
More than two hours later Michelsen was sobbing uncontrollably on Tiafoe’s shoulder after losing a fifth-set tie-break 10-6.
Shelton will face Tiafoe in the semi-final on Friday, guaranteeing an American in the final and raising hopes of a first home winner of the men’s title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
