Ben Shelton Beats Frances Tiafoe to Reach US Open Final

American tennis player Ben Shelton reached his first Grand Slam singles final by defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in four sets at the US Open on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The eighth seed recovered from dropping the opening set to win 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5 in a match lasting three hours and 17 minutes. Shelton will face top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in Sunday’s final after Zverev defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov in straight sets.

Four-set victory over Tiafoe

Shelton hit 47 winners and 20 aces during the semi-final encounter against 11th seed Tiafoe. He won 77 percent of points on his first serve and converted 62 percent of points played against Tiafoe’s second serve. Tiafoe claimed the opening set after breaking serve at 4-4, but Shelton responded by taking an early lead in the second set with a forehand winner down the line. After leveling the match, Shelton controlled key points in the third set, including winning a 28-shot rally to secure a break before taking the set.

In the fourth set, Tiafoe was unable to convert two break points in the opening game. Serving at 5-6, Tiafoe faced three match points. Shelton missed a forehand on the first, but Tiafoe then committed a double fault to end the match.

Historical significance and head-to-head record

Shelton is the first black American male player to reach the US Open men’s singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and the first black male player in any Grand Slam singles final since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open. He is aiming to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick won at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Shelton has lost all five of his previous matches against Zverev.

“Frances is like a big brother to me,” Shelton said after the match when asked about playing his compatriot. Addressing the crowd regarding Sunday’s final, he added, “I’m going to leave it all on the court.”

Zverev advances to third straight major final

In the other semi-final, top seed Zverev defeated unseeded world number 50 Karen Khachanov 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6). The 29-year-old German reached his third consecutive Grand Slam final, having won the French Open in June and finished runner-up at Wimbledon in July. Zverev saved two set points in the third set to complete the victory. He previously reached the US Open final in 2020, where he lost to Dominic Thiem.

Background

American male tennis players have experienced a 23-year drought in Grand Slam singles titles since Andy Roddick’s victory at the 2003 US Open. Over that span, American men have reached six Grand Slam finals, including Taylor Fritz’s appearance at Flushing Meadows two years ago. Shelton previously reached two major semi-finals before advancing to Sunday’s final.