Ben Shelton powers past 'Big Brother' Frances Tiafoe to set up a U.S. Open final showdown with top-seeded German Alexander Zverev. The second semifinal on Friday night saw a historic all-American men's showdown between No. 8 seed Ben Shelton and No. 11 seed Tiafoe, won by the younger Shelton.
Shelton, 23, lost the first set but came back strong to clinch the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to book a spot for Sunday's U.S. Open final. The matchup will go down in history for a multitude of reasons. The Friday night semifinal match marks the first time that two Black American men faced off in a U.S. Open men's singles semifinal.
The win has led Shelton to become the first Black American man to reach the U.S. Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1968. Besides, the Sunday showdown with Zverev also provides Shelton a golden opportunity to lift the trophy and become the first American U.S. Open men's singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003.
On the other hand, in the U.S. Open men's singles first semifinal, Alexander Zverev, who posted a 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) win against Karen Khachanov on Friday, is set to appear for the first time as the top seed at Flushing Meadows. The win also marks the third time that the top-seeded German has reached a Grand Slam final.