US tennis star Ben Shelton eventually got the better of Carlos Alcaraz in the latest-ever finish in US Open history, ending the Spaniard’s title defense and progressing to an all-American semifinal.
The titanic quarterfinal lasted four hours and 28 minutes, eventually ending at 3:33 a.m. local time in New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The match was as dramatic as it sounds, with momentum swinging between the two players battling it out on court.
It all appeared to be going to plan for Alcaraz after he won the first-set tiebreak, but Shelton stormed back in the next two sets to take a 2-1 lead in the match. But the Spaniard won the fourth set to take the contest to a deciding set that went the distance.
With thousands of fans sticking around to watch the epic, Shelton was buoyed by the home support and found the energy to edge the match-deciding tiebreak and win the record-breaking quarterfinal in five sets – 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7).
