In our first men's preview, Novak Djokovic will face Ben Shelton in the semi-finals of the US Open today, Thursday, September 7, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York.

23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic has seemed almost unbeatable so far at the last major of the year. The Serb has flown past all but one of his opponents in straight sets, having been taken to five sets by his compatriot Laslo Djere in the third round.

In his quarter-final match, the Big Three member ousted ninth seed Taylor Fritz in front of his opponent's home crowd. Djokovic dominated the match, winning it 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 and extending his head-to-head lead over the American to 8-0.

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Djokovic to face Shelton for first time

Meanwhile, rising talent Shelton has surprised fans with his deep run at the tournament. The 20-year-old beat Aslan Karatsev and fourteenth seed Tommy Paul prior to his quarter-final clash with tenth seed and compatriot Frances Tiafoe.

Many predicted that 25-year-old Tiafoe's experience would give him the edge, but Shelton powered through with his tremendous serve to win the match in four sets, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

This will be the first time that the American has faced Djokovic, and it will be interesting to see how he chooses to play against the tennis legend.

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Djokovic could rely on adaptability

Shelton's powerful serve will almost certainly help him to fight the Serb. In their previous matches, the former fired 50 winners compared to Djokovic's 25. However, the young American also committed around ten more unforced errors than Djokovic.

Furthermore, Djokovic's defenses will be difficult to break through, and the 36-year-old's adaptability is likely to see him play comfortably on the back foot in the face of Shelton's aggressive shots.

Moreover, the Serb's experience and consistency are expected to be enough to see him through to the final. Shelton will be able to rely on the home crowd for energy, which could be a very good boost for him after playing compatriots in his last two rounds, but Djokovic's match against Fritz suggested that facing a home player does not throw him off at all.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.

US Open Tennis

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Ben Shelton will face Novak Djokovic for a spot in the US Open final!

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