US Open: the Spaniard’s adventure ends in the quarterfinals, beaten by Shelton in the fifth set after four and a half hours of battle
Four and a half hours on the pitch and at the end Carlos Alcaraz had to surrender to Ben Sheltonthis is how the adventure at the US Open ended for the Spaniard who was returning after his wrist injury in Barcelona in April. It was a very tough match, with moments of tension when Carlos took it out on a cameraman who was getting too close after the Spaniard had vomited from fatigue. The heat and tiredness directed the match and the rest was done by the great performance of Shelton, who fired shots throughout the match. In the end, at two in the morning in New York, Carlos gave up: “After the third set I was really physically tired, but I found a way to push myself and give something more physically.The match ended at four in the morning in New York, playing in these conditions and with the rhythms of modern tennis is a significant risk even for super professionals such as the tennis players on the circuit.
The match
Shelton played a great gamethrilling the New York public, the American thus reached the semi-final of the US tournament after beating Alcaraz in five sets (6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) the final score). The first set was absolutely balanced until the tie-break where Shelton scored a mini break before Alcaraz took home the first game with a series of three consecutive points. Alcaraz pays for the effort in the first set and in the second Shelton has no problems closing 6-1, then the American’s supremacy continues which Carlos is unable to contain. Shelton also wins the third set but Alcaraz’s reaction is ferocious, the Spaniard wins the fourth set 6-1 and we go to the fifth. In the fifth set everything happens with the audience going crazy for the show, in the tie-break Shelton is relentless and Alcaraz has to give up.
Alcaraz destroyed
In the end Alcaraz didn’t say he was disappointed by the defeat, on the contrary he was satisfied with his performance in New York: “In the fifth set I was feeling better, but there was a beast against me. Shelton is an incredible player, he has the serve which is a weapon in some moments of the match and he played well in every situation, credit to him. But, regardless of the result, I leave the field with a smile, and this is the real victory. I’m proud of myself and how I fought, I needed a match like this. My expectation was to compete and play matches like that, as long as I felt good. And I was really close, so I’m not disappointed that I didn’t win. I leave in good health, which was just what I needed.”
