Shelton Claims First Top-Three Win in Record-Late US Open Quarter-final

Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defence with a five-set victory in a quarter-final that finished later than any match in tournament history. BBC Sport reported that the eighth-seeded American won 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the men's semi-finals.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivYW_8GJLs

The match lasted four hours and 28 minutes and ended at 3:34 a.m. local time in New York. It had not begun until about 11 p.m. after earlier matches delayed Tuesday's night session, but a large crowd remained through the deciding match tie-break and gave Shelton a standing ovation after he completed the win.

The result was Shelton's first victory over a top-three opponent after 17 previous defeats, and it reversed a 0-3 record against Alcaraz. The 23-year-old American has now reached his third Grand Slam semi-final, matching his deepest run at a major after previous appearances in the last four at the US Open and Australian Open.

Alcaraz took the first set in a tie-break before Shelton won nine consecutive games across the second and third sets. The defending champion recovered to take the fourth 6-1, forcing a decider despite the physical demands of the contest. In the final tie-break, Shelton moved ahead 3-1, fell behind 5-3 and then won five of the next six points before closing the match with an ace.

BBC Sport recorded 53 unforced errors for Alcaraz, who was playing his first tournament after more than four months out with a wrist injury. The world number three had won 18 consecutive Grand Slam matches and reached the quarter-finals without losing a set, but this was only his fifth singles match since April and his first in that stretch against a top-10 opponent.

Shelton will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in Friday's semi-final. Tiafoe reached the last four by recovering from two sets and a break down against Alex Michelsen, ensuring an American men's finalist in New York. The United States has not produced a US Open men's singles champion since Andy Roddick won the title in 2003.