Shelton will next face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, and the 23-year-old showed he has the tools to trouble the Spaniard, blending raw power with a delicate touch and sharp decision-making to overwhelm Tsitsipas in an opening set that lasted only 31 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I was focused today,” said Shelton, a 2023 US Open semi-finalist. “I played a complete match from start to finish.”
“The level that he’s playing at is really impressive. To not play for almost five months and do what he’s doing is superhuman, and we’re happy to have him back.
“He lights up stadiums and I think there’s going to be fireworks again on Tuesday.”
Shelton blended raw power with a delicate touch and sharp decision-making to overwhelm Tsitsipas in an opening set that lasted only 31 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“My team told me that if I didn’t show up fully focused they would leave,” joked Shelton, who is bidding to become the first U.S. man to win a major since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph at Flushing Meadows.
“I was focused; it was a good match from start to finish. It was my first straightforward match this year, and I’m happy I can play this way in front of you.
“When you play on this court every year, it feels like you start over again and the nerves hit. I finally found my groove and was in a flow state. Playing on the greatest court in the world is an unbelievable feeling.”
With a two-set cushion, Shelton sprinkled some showmanship into the clash in the next with a soaring overhead smash before racing away and completing an emphatic win with a comfortable hold of serve.
Shelton is bidding to become the first U.S. man to win a major since Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph at Flushing Meadows.
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