New Delhi, Sep 9 — Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar hailed the thrilling US Open quarter-final between Ben Shelton and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, describing the five-set contest as 'some tennis' after the American pulled off a stunning upset.
Shelton defeated Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10/7) in a four-hour and 28-minute battle that went down to a deciding-set tiebreaker.
“That was some tennis! Every time it looked like one of them had the match, the other fought his way back. And then it came down to the final few points.
“Well played, Ben Shelton! Tough luck, Carlos. Coming back after an injury makes this one even tougher,” Tendulkar posted on X.
Shelton ended Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at the Grand Slams with the biggest victory of his career. The American sealed the contest with a 146-mph ace at 3:33 a.m. local time, making it the latest finish in US Open history.
The previous record also involved Alcaraz, who two years ago saved a match point before overcoming Jannik Sinner in a five-set quarter-final that finished at 2:50 a.m.
Alcaraz was playing his first tournament after a four-month injury layoff and had dropped just one set en route to the quarter-finals. He was aiming to become the first man since Roger Federer to successfully defend the US Open title.
The Spaniard was also chasing his eighth Grand Slam crown after becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam with his Australian Open triumph earlier this year.
Shelton, who recently won his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, has now returned to the US Open semi-finals for the first time since 2023.
The American will face fellow compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the last four. Both players will be bidding to reach their first Grand Slam final.
Shelton leads Tiafoe 3-1 in their head-to-head record, with two of their four meetings coming at Flushing Meadows. Shelton won their 2023 quarter-final, while Tiafoe prevailed in their 2024 third-round clash.
With the victory over Alcaraz, Shelton has emerged as one of the biggest stories of this year’s US Open.