The 20-year-old Ben Shelton stunned Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-2 in front of a dedicated late-night crowd to secure a spot in the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Frances Tiafoe was right when he said his U.S. Open quarterfinal match against fellow American Ben Shelton was going to be a win for tennis, as it marked the first time two Black men had faced one another so deep into the tournament.
But Tiafoe, ranked 10th in the world, was on the losing end of the historic contest as Shelton came out on top in the biggest match of his young career.
The 20-year-old stunned Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-2 in front of a dedicated late-night crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium to secure a spot in the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
In the process, Shelton also became the youngest American male to reach the Open semis since Michael Chang in 1992.
Awaiting Shelton is World No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who turned pro when the young American was just a year old.
The significance of the match between Tiafoe and Shelton was not lost on either player, but Shelton is fueled by emotion, and it powered him to victory.
