Alcaraz bids farewell to the US Open after a marathon match against Shelton

Spanish title holder Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprise defeat to Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis tournament in the early hours of Wednesday, losing 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, and 7-6, to advance to the semifinals, in what was the latest-finishing match in the history of the tournament.

With his victory, Shelton set up a semifinal clash with his American compatriot Frances Tiafoe, bolstering hopes among local fans for the first American men’s singles title in New York since 2003.

Alcaraz, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, arrived at Arthur Ashe Stadium undefeated against American players in major tournaments, boasting a 13-match winning streak. However, he struggled to overcome Shelton in a match that began precisely at 11:05 p.m. Tuesday New York time and concluded at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday.

Alcaraz won a tightly contested first-set tiebreak and appeared to gain momentum, but uncharacteristic errors allowed Shelton to easily take the next set, before the American player consolidated his control of the quarterfinal by winning the third set.

Alcaraz vomited into a towel during the break, but faced Shelton in 12 sets before his opponent secured the surprising victory after four hours and 28 minutes of play.