Ben Shelton reaches his first Grand Slam title match

Eighth seed Ben Shelton has officially broken through at his home tournament, advancing to his first Grand Slam final by defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5. Fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium watched the 23-year-old recover from a sluggish opening to dominate with punishing serves and composed baseline play.

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Tiafoe captured the opening set after securing a crucial break at 4-4, capitalizing on a double fault and several unforced errors. Shelton quickly flipped the script in the second set. He broke Tiafoe to love immediately and, despite dropping his own serve right after, found his rhythm from the baseline. At 3-3, Shelton applied intense pressure, eventually capitalizing on a wide forehand from his opponent to break ahead and level the match 6-3.

Commanding service displays

Serving dictated the critical third set. Shelton recorded a blistering 144 mph serve, forcing his opponent into difficult defensive positions. Tiafoe fought aggressively, dragging the final game of that set through seven exhausting deuces and saving three set points. Shelton maintained his composure throughout the grueling 15-minute exchange, eventually holding serve to take a two-sets-to-one lead.

Both athletes traded solid holds during a tense fourth set until the scoreboard reached 5-5. Shelton confidently secured his service game for a 6-5 advantage. A costly double fault from Tiafoe finally handed over the decisive break, finishing the match.

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Shelton now aims to become the first American man to win this tournament since Andy Roddick hoisted the trophy in 2003. He must first overcome world No.1 Alexander Zverev, who recently defeated Karen Khachanov and currently holds a flawless 5-0 record against the young American.