Novak
Djokovic defeated
Ben Shelton in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 to reach the final
of the
US Open once again.
The North
American advanced surprisingly from the Flushing Meadows semifinal by winning
five matches, including victories over his compatriots, 14th seed Tommy Paul
and 10th seed Frances Tiafoe.
In the
semifinals, he faced 3-time US Open champion
Novak Djokovic, who was seeking
his tenth final appearance in New York. Djokovic had a dominant quarterfinal
win against Taylor Fritz and continued his success against a local player.
Although
Shelton started strong on his serve, he gave Djokovic an opportunity in the
sixth game, and the Serbian quickly took the lead. Djokovic was up 5-2 and had
four set points, but Shelton managed to extend the set to 6-3 in Djokovic's
favor.
The North
American suffered the consequences of his 15 unforced errors during the set,
something that also plagued him in the second set, where he committed 12.
Djokovic saved a break point early in the set and had no major difficulties
with his service.
However,
Djokovic put pressure on Shelton with his serve and secured two consecutive
breaks to close the set with a commanding score of 6-2, making it seem like a
straightforward affair for the new world No. 1.
Djokovic
won nearly 60% of the points played during the first two sets and didn't give
Shelton any room with his service.
At the
start of the third set, Djokovic's superiority became evident as he broke
Shelton's serve and took a 2-0 lead in just a few minutes. 'Nole' had a 4-2
lead but dropped his level in the latter part of the set, giving Shelton a
chance to compete in crucial moments. The
American had a set point at 5-4 with his opponent serving, but he couldn't
convert it.
Djokovic
managed to break in the next game and served to win the match at 6-5, but
Shelton rallied just when the match seemed over. Djokovic wasted a match point
and dropped his service for the second time, giving the opportunity to decide
the set in a tie-break.
The North
American's hope ended in the third-set tie-break, where Djokovic once again
prevailed in the crucial points, closing the match 6-3, 6-2, 7-6.