Only in the third set with his back against the wall was Ben Shelton (ATP 47) able to get the crowd on his side at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 20-year-old managed to equalize 4:4, thus raising hopes of reaching the US Open final. The cheers were huge – and Novak Djokovic (ATP 2) was a little unsteady for the first time in the match.
Suddenly the crowd saw a match at eye level, and Shelton suddenly felt the morning air. The young player fought his way to the tie-break after dropping a set and saving a match point. However, Djokovic showed what he does best: unloading his best effort in crucial moments. So the Serbian kept the better end for himself – after 7:4 in the tie-break he was able to celebrate after 2 hours and 39 minutes.
A one-sided game for a long time
Previously, the class difference had been evident on the field for a long time. Djokovic imposed his style on the surprised Shelton from the beginning. There wasn’t much to be seen of the young American’s powerful serves and dangerous net attacks; Instead, errors piled up.
In the first set alone, the 20-year-old player committed 16 unforced errors and only 5 successful shots. Djokovic only managed one win, but thanks to just four errors, the Serbian had no trouble. In just 34 minutes, the round ended with the 23-time Grand Slam champion winning 6-3.
The second sentence also remains clear
Even after that, Shelton couldn’t improve. It remained flawed, and thus failed to excite the public, which was certainly on the side of the American. The second round also went to Djokovic, who was 16 years older than him. He served it home with a score of 6:2.
After the third set started in the worst possible way for Shelton – as he had to concede another serve to Djokovic – the duel seemed decidedly decided. The bout, which was played under a closed roof (which would have been an advantage for Shelton), was heating up towards the end – until Shelton offered brief hope.
No US winner
The American public’s desire to win at home suddenly ends. No local has won the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, and the title will go to Europe again this year.
In Sunday’s final (from 10:05pm live on SRF) Djokovic will either meet Daniil Medvedev (Russia/ATP 3) on his way to a 24th Grand Slam title. That would lead to a new edition of the 2021 final, where Medvedev denied Djokovic a Grand Slam win and won his only major-level victory to date.
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