Frances Tiafoe battled back to defeat compatriot Ben Shelton in a thrilling five-set US Open clash that lived up to the pre-match hype.
Tiafoe seems to be made for these moments on Arthur Ashe Stadium, pushing the crowd to the edge of their seats with his infectious energy and sublime shot-making prowess.
The all-American clash was scheduled as a day event on Friday, but both competitors made sure that US Open organizers would rue their mistake by putting on a tantalizing show in which Tiafoe prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3.
Just a few hours later, reigning champion Novak Djokovic was stunned by an in-form Alexei Popyrin to blow the bottom half of the draw wide open.
It now appears as if the stars may be aligning for Frances Tiafoe, who will face the Australian on Sunday for a spot in the quarter-final.
Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe exchange words at the net
Ben Shelton got the better of his compatriot in the 2023 quarter-final, and it looked as if he was going to come out on top for a second successive year when he snatched the first set.
The 21-year-old was able to rely on his explosive lefty serve to get him out of trouble, but was unable to fend off Tiafoe, who rallied back from a set deficit on two occasions to clinch victory.
After a four-hour battle, the pair embraced at the net, highlighting the healthy relationship between two good friends and supreme competitors.
“Obviously I thought he played lights-out today,” Shelton said in his press conference. “That was one of the things you’ve got to be happy for a guy and congratulate, especially a guy like him when he’s playing the way he’s playing.
“I think that it’s important to show it sometimes that, you know, you can be happy for a guy when they beat you. Obviously there are some things I want to do better. I’m a competitor. I always want to win. But, you know, I’ve taken a few things from him in the past year, and I thought that he’s always handled it well.
“You know, maybe not like a big embrace when we’re on the court. But soon or right after it’s like things are back to normal. But one of those cool environments in matches to be a part of. It didn’t feel right to just go up with a negative look on my face, shake his hand and walk off the court, because he played some great ball today.
“I told him, you know, keep serving like that, keep returning like that, and see where this thing goes. Obviously he took me out here, so let’s see what he can do.”
Can Tiafoe win the US Open?
In 2022, Tiafoe produced an awe-inspiring run to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows only to be halted by the eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in a five-set epic.
It was a defeat that reduced the likeable American to tears, vowing to the crowd that he would return and ‘win this thing one day’.
The following year, his hopes were crushed by Shelton in the quarters but, after Friday’s dramatic turn of events, Tiafoe is presented with another huge opportunity to go deep.
If the 26-year-old can get through Popyrin, then he will face either Andrey Rublev or Grigor Dimitrov for a spot in the semi-finals.
Fortunately, world number one Jannik Sinner is on the other half of the draw and out of sight until the championship match.
After reaching his maiden Masters final in Cincinnati and announcing himself against a red-hot Shelton, Tiafoe might just be tapping into the currents at the perfect time to capture the hearts of his country.
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