Shelton Outlasts Tiafoe in Three-Hour Semifinal
Ben Shelton advanced to the US Open final by defeating Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in a semifinal on Friday. The match lasted three hours and 17 minutes, with Shelton firing 20 aces and converting five of 11 break points. The victory puts him one win away from becoming the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton had already knocked out seven-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.[S1]
Brunson in the Stands as Shelton Keeps Focus
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson attended the semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Shelton admitted afterward that spotting him was a distraction. Shelton said playing in front of favorite athletes and movie stars makes it hard to stay focused, and that he kept looking up at the screen and noticing Brunson. Brunson had helped the Knicks end a 53-year championship drought in the 2025-26 season, beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win the NBA Finals. He led the playoffs with 28.4 points per game and posted 46.5/36.3/84.6 shooting splits over 19 postseason contests, including a 45-point outing in Game 5 of the Finals.[S1]
Zverev Stands Between Shelton and History
Shelton will face Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday. Shelton has lost all five of his previous head-to-head matches against Zverev, but he enters the title match with momentum from his run through the draw. A win would make him the first American man to capture a Grand Slam singles title since Roddick's 2003 triumph.[S1]
