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Ben Shelton stunned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in an epic five-set battle to reach the US Open semifinals after a match that ended at 3:33am local time.
The eighth-seeded American prevailed 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) after four hours and 28 minutes of gripping action at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The match, which finished at 3:33am, became the latest-ending match in US Open history.
Alcaraz and Shelton trade momentum
Alcaraz looked every bit the defending champion at the start, edging a tightly contested opening set in a 7-5 tiebreak.
Shelton, however, quickly turned the match around. The American dominated the second set 6-1 before maintaining his aggressive approach to take the third 6-3 and move within one set of victory.
With Alcaraz seemingly on the brink of elimination, the Spaniard rediscovered his best tennis in the fourth set. He raced to a 6-1 win, sending the contest into a deciding fifth set.
Dramatic deciding set
Neither player was willing to give an inch in the final set as both held serve to take the score to 6-6, forcing a 10-point match tiebreak.
The momentum swung repeatedly before Shelton produced the decisive moment while leading 8-7. He unleashed a blistering 146mph serve that put Alcaraz under pressure, and the Spaniard sent his next forehand wide.
With two match points in hand, Shelton held his nerve and sealed the tiebreak 10-7 for one of the biggest victories of his career.
The win was Shelton’s first against Alcaraz. He had lost all three of their previous meetings.
Record-breaking night
The match will go down in US Open history not only for its dramatic finish but also for its late conclusion.
It surpassed the previous record for the tournament’s latest finish, set by Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner during their 2022 quarterfinal, which ended at 2:50am.
Alcaraz’s defeat was particularly disappointing after he returned to competitive tennis at this year’s US Open following an extended break caused by a wrist problem.
Questions had surrounded his match fitness before the tournament, but he battled his way to the quarterfinals before his title defence finally came to an end against Shelton.
