American Ben Shelton upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a marathon U.S. Open quarterfinal match that concluded in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Shelton won by a score of 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in the latest-finishing match in the tournament's history.
The victory propels the unseeded Shelton into the semifinals, where he will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe. This pairing boosts the hopes of an American man winning a Grand Slam singles title for the first time since 2003.
The match, which began Tuesday at 11:05 p.m. and concluded Wednesday at 3:33 a.m., saw Alcaraz, a seven-time major champion, fall to an American opponent in a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. Despite a tight first set won by Alcaraz, Shelton fought back, capitalizing on uncharacteristic errors from the Spaniard. Alcaraz, who was competing in New York after a nearly five-month layoff due to a wrist injury, showed signs of fatigue, including vomiting into a towel during a break. He managed to force a deciding set, but Shelton ultimately closed out the win after four hours and 28 minutes.
Alcaraz had appeared to regain momentum by leveling the match at two sets apiece, but he was unable to maintain it through the final set.
