Arabic version: شيلتون يبلغ أول نهائي له في بطولة أمريكا المفتوحة

According to BBC News, Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5 in an all-American US Open semi-final to reach his first Grand Slam singles final. The eighth seed came from a set down in front of a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, winning after three hours and 17 minutes.

Shelton, 23, will face top seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final. He becomes the first black American male player to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and the first black male player to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost the 2008 Australian Open final.

He is also aiming to become the first American male US Open singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton said his parents had sacrificed a lot for him to reach the position, adding that his father’s mother, who died earlier this year, was the reason his father was able to play tennis. “Without her there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. This one is for her,” he said.

Shelton hit 47 winners and 20 aces against Tiafoe, winning 77% of points behind his first serve. Zverev reached the final by beating unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6). The German, who won the French Open in June, is through to a third Grand Slam final in a row and his second US Open final after losing to Dominic Thiem in 2020.