Shelton Stuns Alcaraz in Thrilling 3.33am US Open Finale: Key Takeaways from Historic Match – The Irish Times” “US Open Tennis 2023: Ben Shelton Beats Carlos Alcaraz in Historic 3.33am Finish – Irish Times Analysis” “US Open Night Match: Ben Shelton’s Surprise Victory Over Carlos Alcaraz in 3.33am Thriller – Irish Times Review

The Marathon Quarter-Final Finish at Flushing Meadows

The late-night contest at Arthur Ashe Stadium stretched deep into the early hours, setting a new benchmark for the tournament. According to The Independent, the match concluded as the grand slam’s latest-ever finish at 3:33am ET, eclipsing the previous 2:50am ET record set during the 2022 meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Despite the extreme hour, a half-full stadium remained to witness the conclusion of a wide-open draw.

For Alcaraz, the physical toll of the match became glaringly apparent as the sets wore on. According to the Guardian, the defending champion spent the final changeover of the fourth set vomiting into his towel, battling severe fatigue stemming from his first tournament back following a four-and-a-half-month layoff due to a wrist injury. Yet, Alcaraz reflected positively on the battle, stating via the Guardian: As I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kind of matches for me being healthy. He added: It was close. It was close. So I’m just not going to be disappointed about don’t getting the win at the end. You know, I’m just happy. I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought. After the third set, physically I was really tired, but you know I found a way to push myself up and physically giving extra.

Shelton’s Resilience and Path to Victory

Ben Shelton capitalized on his opportunities by maintaining steady baseline play and deploying powerful serves exceeding 130mph, including multiple 146mph thunderbolts in the deciding tiebreak. According to the Guardian, Shelton secured nine consecutive games across the second and third sets after Alcaraz began spraying unforced errors. When asked about facing the reigning champion, Shelton noted via the Guardian: Carlos is one of the greatest champions in our sport already at 23 years old. It’s always fun being on the court against him. It’s ridiculous some of the stuff he comes up with sometimes. The most enjoyable match that I’ve had in my career, for sure.

The victory marks Shelton’s third grand slam semi-final appearance and his second final-four showing at Flushing Meadows following his 2023 run, as reported by The Independent. Looking ahead, Shelton prepares to face his compatriot and friend Frances Tiafoe, who advanced after overcoming his own five-set marathon against Alex Michelsen.