{"id":1641,"date":"2023-09-08T01:56:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T01:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/shelton-outguns-tiafoe-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-09-08T01:56:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T01:56:07","slug":"shelton-outguns-tiafoe-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/shelton-outguns-tiafoe-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Shelton outguns Tiafoe | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nNEW YORK:
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Unseeded Ben Shelton took down Frances Tiafoe<\/a> in four sets in an all-American US Open clash Tuesday to book a semi-final date with 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.<\/p>\n

World number 47 Shelton defeated Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (9\/7), 6-2 to make the last four of a major for the first time and become the youngest American man to do so in New York since Michael Chang in 1992.<\/p>\n

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” the 20-year-old Shelton said of a first-time meeting with Djokovic that awaits him on Friday.<\/p>\n

“I feel like I left it all out here tonight. It was an emotional battle.”<\/p>\n

Shelton saved a set point as he won a crucial third-set tie-break and pulled away in the fourth to settle a historic first Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open era featuring two African-American men.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes you’ve got to shut off the brain, close your eyes and just swing, and maybe it was a little bit of that down set point and it end up working out,” said Shelton.<\/p>\n

“Some may say clutch but I don’t know about that.”<\/p>\n

The former college champion, who is coached by his father and former professional Bryan Shelton, arrived at his second US Open with a tour-level record of 12-20 this season.<\/p>\n

He had failed to win multiple matches at any of the 18 ATP Tour events he had played since advancing to the quarter-finals in his Australian Open debut.<\/p>\n

Ten of his 17 victories in 2023 have now come at Grand Slams. Shelton reached the second round at Wimbledon after losing his opening match at the French Open.<\/p>\n

Shelton ran away with the first set after breaking last year’s semi-finalist Tiafoe in the fifth and seventh games.<\/p>\n

*9Tiafoe responded with a single break in the second enough to level the match. The contest turned into a real back-and-forth struggle in the third set as the pair exchanged six breaks of serve.<\/p>\n

Shelton shook off consecutive double faults in the tie-break as two set points passed by, smacking a blistering inside-out forehand to stay in the set and holding his nerve as Tiafoe cracked first.<\/p>\n

It was a pivotal moment in the match as Shelton carried over the momentum into the fourth set, breaking right away and then once more for a 5-2 lead before shutting the door on Tiafoe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n