Sachin hails Shelton’s big win over Alcaraz (Agency Images)
“That was some tennis! Every time it looked like one of them had the match, the other fought his way back. And then it came down to the final few points. Tendulkar’s assessment captured the nature of a match that swung repeatedly between Shelton and Alcaraz.
The fifth set ultimately needed a 10-point tiebreak, with Shelton prevailing 10-7. He then finished the job in emphatic fashion, firing a 146 mph ace on match point. The contest also became the latest-finishing match in US Open history, ending at 3:33 a.m. in New York. The victory ended Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak and sent Shelton into the US Open semi-finals, where he will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe.
Because of a right wrist injury, for Alcaraz, the defeat came during his first tournament since a four-and-a-half-month layoff.
Despite the loss, the Spaniard said he was proud of how he fought back during the contest. It was also Shelton’s first career victory over a top-three opponent.