New York: The 20-year-old Ben Shelton scripts history at Flushing Meadows after he knocked out countryman Francis Tiafoe in the topsy-turvy quarterfinal.
Shelton needs just one more game to reach his first Grand Slam final after defeating Tiafoe with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 scoreline.
With Tuesday night’s win, the 20-year-old becomes the youngest American to reach the US Open semifinal since Michael Chang in 1992.
Shelton impressively improved to break into the Top 20 of the ATP live rankings following a heartbreaking first-round loss at the tournament last year when he was rated No. 165.
However, it won’t be easy for Shelton in the semifinal as he will face the mighty Novak Djokovic, who looks in ruthless form eyeing his fourth US Open title.
Djokovic after his win against Taylor Fritz went straight into his 47th major semifinal, surpassing Roger Federer’s mark of 46.
In the women singles, No. 10 seed Czech player Karolina Muchova advanced to her second hard-court Slam semifinal after defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
Muchova has now made the semifinals or better at three of the four majors. She first broke through at the 2020 Australian Open and made her first major final three months ago at Roland Garros.
She will next face No.6 American Coco Gauff Thursday for a spot in the final.
Thursday’s semifinal will be a rematch of the Cincinnati Masters final just two weeks ago, where Gauff got the better of a fatigued Muchova to win her first WTA 1000 title.
IANS
