The Grand Slam title drought might very well be over for the American men, as two home favorites are set to clash in the semifinals, guaranteeing an American in the final. Both Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton had epic five-set wins in their respective quarter-finals and will be eager to recover quickly and go at it on Arthur Ashe on Friday. However, before the match, American legend and former World No.1 broke down the match and, in doing so, divulged a unique tactical advantage that Tiafoe might have to nullify Shelton’s biggest threat.
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“The one thing we need to watch is that most people have to completely sell out and go back on Ben’s serve. Even Carlos got caught a couple of times, right? It’s tough to take that spin where it bounces on your back, and it kicks towards your face or your forehand, and take it on because most of us have swings that are too big. Like, you can’t do anything,” said Andy Roddick on his podcast, Served with Andy Roddick.
“Foe has very small swings on the return. He can almost like bunt returns, right? So, he is more likely to be able to handle Ben’s serve on the second serve standing in than most people. If anyone can, you know, knock down and volume return Ben’s second serve, it’s going to be Foe.”
Shelton’s serve is one of the most lethal attacking options in men’s tennis at the moment, not just because of its speed but also because of its variety and the American’s ability to execute under pressure. Against Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, the serve was a massive weapon for Shelton, whose average first serve speed was over 123mph, whereas his average second serve speed was over 104 mph.
Roddick is spot on in his assessment, as Shelton mixed up his serve against Alcaraz to neutralize the Spaniard’s athletic movement. Whenever Alcaraz was behind the baseline, Shelton went for wide serves and came to the net to finish the point, whereas he attempted massive first serves down the line. Whenever the Spaniard stepped onto the baseline, he sometimes hit second serves of over 110mph.
However, Tiafoe’s short arm-swing means that he can return Shelton’s serves from the baseline all the time if he chooses. This will present a new challenge for Shelton in terms of his serve placement, especially in second-serve situations. If the eighth seed decides to go for wide serves even in that situation, Tiafoe has the ability to get the ball back in play with his slice shots and get into rallies with Shelton, which increases Tiafoe’s chances of winning the point.
It will be a mistake from Tiafoe if he thinks that serve is all that Shelton has got. He broke Alcaraz five times in the quarterfinal, although the Spaniard struggled physically for a large part of the second and third sets, when Shelton got four of those breaks. However, the American did show his athletic ability in long rallies and also improved his net play, winning 71 percent of net points on 41 approaches to the net.
Irrespective of all the tactical challenges, both players will arrive with a massive boost in confidence, given the wins they secured in the quarterfinals.
Both Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe Had Big Quarterfinal Wins at the US Open
The match between Shelton and Alcaraz was one of the tournament’s highlights, with the American finally achieving his breakthrough against a top-ranked player at a Grand Slam. In what was the latest US Open finish at 3:33 a.m., Shelton showed his ability and mentality to win a high-stakes match at the biggest tennis stadium in the world.
On the other hand, Tiafoe was the favorite in his quarterfinal match against Alex Michelsen. However, it was the veteran American who was down two sets and was on the brink when Michelsen stepped up to serve the match out at 5-4. Tiafoe was able to turn the match around to win in five sets, including another mini-comeback when he was 3-0 down in the final set. Tiafoe’s hug with Michelsen at the net proved to be one of the most emotional moments in New York this year.
Shelton has a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head against Tiafoe, with the duo having played at the US Open twice before. While Shelton won a four-set match in 2023 during his breakthrough run, Tiafoe got his payback next year, when he won a five-set thriller against the same opponent in the third round. Given the form of both players, there is a high possibility that the audience at Arthur Ashe might be in for a long night once more.