Each time Ben Shelton, the 20-year-old Floridian thunderbolt, took the courtroom on the U.S. Open this yr he placed on one of many biggest reveals of the event.
He was a racket-waving spotlight reel as soon as extra on Friday afternoon within the semifinals, enjoying the sort of tennis that might make each American fan pay homage to the spirit of “Large” Invoice Tilden or no matter magical pressure led Shelton to pursue tennis as a substitute of soccer as he turned a youngster.
That second serve of 143 miles per hour, and the horrifying forehand the child ripped throughout the courtroom. The athleticism he confirmed floating again to show stable lobs into fearless, rocking overhands. These arms rippling out of his sleeveless shirt, and the spirit, too, the best way he yelled out an exuberant “yeah!” like a child on the playground each time he snatched a giant level. And that contact on the drop volleys, that land and spin again towards the online.
Sadly for Shelton, the scoring system in tennis presents no fashion factors, and in Novak Djokovic he confronted not solely a 23-time Grand Slam winner and the best participant of the trendy period however the final practitioner of tennis tai chi. For years, and by no means greater than in his newest stretch of dominance, the 36-year-old Djokovic has made turning the facility and magnificence of the flashiest and strongest challengers in opposition to them.
And that’s precisely what Djokovic did Friday. Taking part in in a document forty seventh Grand Slam semifinal, Djokovic executed the kind of tactical deconstruction of Shelton that has crushed the goals and good vibes and flash that so many youthful gamers have come at him with earlier than. With out utilizing an oz extra vitality than he needed to, Djokovic took aside the younger man with the sculpted arms, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), in simply over two and a half hours.
For a lot of the afternoon, he caught up with Shelton’s drop photographs from the again of the courtroom like a cheetah chasing his lunch, and picked off the missiles on Shelton’s serve like he was catching butterflies in a discipline on a late summer time afternoon.
Perceive now, Djokovic appreciates a flashy tennis highlights as a lot as anybody. Taking the courtroom for the third set holding an almost insurmountable — in opposition to him — two-set lead, he swung nearly as exhausting as he might and watched Shelton feather a drop volley. Djokovic gave the second the racket clap it deserved. Beautiful play, younger man. Minutes later he cruised into the courtroom and rolled a passing shot to interrupt Shelton’s serve and spirit as soon as extra.
Djokovic did all this in entrance of a crowd of almost 24,000 followers at Arthur Ashe Stadium revved up for a high-octane brawl. With thunderstorms within the space, the roof was closed, and each time Shelton put collectively a type of shows of energy and contact and pace and athleticism and got here away with the purpose, the blast of the roars was one thing that felt like you could possibly attain out and contact.
That was by no means extra true than when Shelton trailed 2-4 within the third set, desperately attempting to increase the match. He discovered himself with a degree to interrupt Djokovic’s serve and didn’t disappoint, drawing Djokovic into a large forehand that generated a brain-rattling sound. Two video games later, amid Djokovic’s solely error-strewn and poor-serving lull of the day (it occurs), he held a break level and all the great vibes.
After which as soon as extra, Djokovic stifled the second along with his trademark effectivity — a 124 mp.h. serve out broad that Shelton couldn’t deal with. Order had been restored.
There was nonetheless somewhat extra Shelton and Djokovic for the packed stadium to take pleasure in. Shelton saved match level and despatched the third set to a tiebreaker, then caught round a bit when he went down, 5-1. However Djokovic had issues to do and a rightful place in his thirty sixth Grand Slam last. Shelton whipped yet one more forehand into the online and it was Djokovic’s flip to bask within the noise.