Alcaraz falls to Shelton at US Open

QUARTER-FINAL SHOCK: Carlos Alcaraz made uncharacteristic unforced errors in the late night battle with Ben Shelton, while Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko were knocked out

Ben Shelton sent defending champion Carlos Alcaraz packing from the US Open quarter-finals in the early hours yesterday, the pair slugging it out in the latest-finishing match in tournament history, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko lost out at the women’s doubles’ quarter-final, and Aryna Sabalenka was pushed to the limit, but kept her title defense alive.

Spaniard Alcaraz had defied concerns over his long layoff due to a wrist injury, but came undone against American eighth seed Shelton, who plays countryman Frances Tiafoe for a place in the final.

Alcaraz, 23, struggled with accuracy, making an uncharacteristic 53 unforced errors, and was dragged into a punishing four-hour and 28-minute battle, where Shelton sealed a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) victory at 3:33am yesterday in New York.

The US’ Ben Shelton celebrates his victory against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz during the men’s singles quarter-finals of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, yesterday.

Photo: EPA

“Carlos is one of the greatest champions in our sport already,” Shelton said of the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

“It’s always fun being on the court against him. It’s ridiculous some of the stuff he comes up with sometimes, but it’s the most enjoyable match I’ve had in my career,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hsieh and Ostapenko fell to Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Russia’s Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-3, after a heated round with Chan Hao-ting and Maya Joint in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.

Sabalenka had not dropped a set this year in New York, but found herself pushed to the limit in a 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(10-7) win over Linda Noskova to reach her sixth consecutive US Open semi-final.

The highly anticipated meeting between the Czech Wimbledon winner and the US Open champion lived up to expectations and the Belarusian clinched victory with a second-serve ace.

“I felt at some point in the third set she was definitely serving better than me and putting so much pressure on me, but I’m glad that threw that thought away and I was able to focus point by point,” Sabalenka said.

US fan favorite Frances Tiafoe came back from two sets and a break down to defeat compatriot Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6), flinging his racket to the court in a scene of joy after sealing the win with a signature forehand.

The marathon match pushed Tuesday’s evening program to a later start, and third seed Jessica Pegula came from behind to see off fellow American Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a contest that was dubbed by local media as the “Battle of the Billionaires.”

Pegula, daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula, is among three women who could overtake Sabalenka as the world number one at this tournament.

She extended her record over Navarro, the daughter of billionaire businessman Ben Navarro, to 5-0.