Mumbai: In 1968, Arthur Ashe became the first Black man to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the US Open. In 1991, 25-year-old Bryan Shelton became the first Black man from the USA since Ashe to win an ATP Tour title.
The all-American showdown between two players known to mix power with finesse was the blockbuster match of the evening. Ticket prices suggested just that, with those for the Shelton-Tiafoe match starting from $300. The first semi-final, which Germany’s Alexander Zverev won by beating Russia Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) had prices drop to as low as $28. (Zverev, who won his first major at the French Open, has reached his third straight Grand Slam final this year and will start as favourite on Sunday.)
But it was enough to nearly knock the racquet off Tiafoe’s hands, who barely managed to get a shanked return back in play, although Shelton finished the point in his next shot. He had started that season by reaching the quarter-final of the Australian Open – which was the first time he had played a professional tournament outside the US – and ended it with a semi-final finish in New York. “That was a war, an epic match.
His first serves are regularly fired at around 140 mph (225 kph). And then came one mammoth strike early in the third set that showed up as 158 mph (254 kph) on the board. The US Open did later issue a statement claiming that the reading was wrong and that the serve was in fact 144 mph (232 kph). These displays of power have become regular with Shelton since his breakthrough year on the tour in 2023.
So physical,” he had said in the post-match press conference after beating the Spaniard. “The most enjoyable match I’ve had in my career, for sure.”
On Sunday, at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Bryan’s son Ben Shelton will hope to become the first Black player since Ashe to win a men’s singles US Open title, and the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a Grand Slam. Shelton battled and entertained for three hours and 17 minutes against good friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe (also a Black player) before eventually winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-final. “Every time we take to this court together, it is super special. This is where we want to be – at the tail end of the tournament. This is our favourite tournament and favourite court in the world. That (ticket prices) is, in many ways, also a reflection of the type of player Shelton is. The powerful and eloquent left-hander is a crowd-puller who draws gasps for the might of his serve alone.
“Frances is like a big brother to me,” Shelton said moments after their long embrace at the net.
