Turned it

Shelton recovers to beat Tiafoe at the US Open

6-4 3-6 3-6 5-7

Shelton vs Tiafoe2-0 across 2 meetings in this archive

Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5 to advance to the US Open final on hard court. Tiafoe took the opening set, but Shelton responded by winning the next two sets comfortably before closing out the fourth in a tighter finish. Shelton struck 20 aces at an average first-serve speed of 199 km/h, landing 75% of first serves and winning 77% of those points.

Match context

Why this one matters

A win in a Semi finals match at US Open on hard courts is another data point in the argument Shelton's game keeps making: that first-strike tennis — the serve, the forehand behind it, the forward pressure — holds up week over week, not just on highlight reels.

  • Lost set 1, won the match in four
  • 20 aces at 199 km/h avg speed
  • Won sets 2–3 decisively (6-3, 6-3)
  • 77% of first-serve points won

US Open — every round

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