Shelton Tops Frances Tiafoe at US Open for his 1st Slam Semifinal. Djokovic is Next

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Ben Shelton of the United States returns a shot against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during their Men's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 05, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.   Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Ben Shelton of the United States returns a shot against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during their Men's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 05, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
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Shelton Tops Frances Tiafoe at US Open for his 1st Slam Semifinal. Djokovic is Next

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Ben Shelton of the United States returns a shot against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during their Men's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 05, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.   Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Ben Shelton of the United States returns a shot against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during their Men's Singles Quarterfinal match on Day Nine of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 05, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

Ben Shelton is still just 20, still new to this whole professional tennis thing. He is equipped with a tremendously good serve, but don't think he can't come through in other ways when it matters the most, The Associated Press reported.
On a muggy night in which, yes, he hit 14 aces but also hit 11 double-faults, Shelton used one blink-and-you-missed-it booming return to save a set point in the pivotal tiebreaker and reached his first Grand Slam semifinal by edging Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 at the US Open in a back-and-forth contest filled with huge hitting by both.
“Sometimes you’ve got to shut off the brain, close your eyes and just swing,” Shelton said about his forehand return winner off an 83 mph second serve that prevented Tiafoe from taking a two-sets-to-one lead. “Some may say ‘clutch,’ but I don't know about all that.”
Tiafoe's take?
“An unbelievable return from way back there,” he acknowledged. “Come on. That's unheard-of stuff."
Two missed shots by Tiafoe later, that set belonged to Shelton. He broke to begin the fourth and never looked back.
“End of that third set is when I really had to dig deep,” said Shelton, the youngest man from the United States in the US Open semifinals since Michael Chang was 20 in 1992.
The matchup, which began in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday evening and ended after midnight on Wednesday, was the first major quarterfinal between two African-American men in the Open era, which dates to 1968.
“It’s great with two people of color going at it. Obviously a historic moment,” Tiafoe said. “But ultimately, once you get out there, you just want to win.”
It was also the first US Open quarterfinal since 2005 between two men from the host country, which hasn’t claimed a Slam trophy in men’s singles since Andy Roddick won at Flushing Meadows two years prior to that.
The crowd seemed to have a tough time deciding for whom to cheer, prodding both players at various points of the often even matchup.
Shelton will face Novak Djokovic on Friday for a berth in the final. Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, reached his record 47th Grand Slam semifinal, breaking a tie with Roger Federer for the most by a man, by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Asked whether he knew whom he'd play next, Shelton smiled and said, knowingly, “He's won maybe 23 of these? Something like that?” — referring to Djokovic's total number of major championships. “It doesn't get much better than that.”
Both the unseeded Shelton and No. 10 seed Tiafoe, a 25-year-old from Maryland who was a semifinalist at Flushing Meadows a year ago, wore sleeveless muscle shirts. Shelton’s was mostly black with fuchsia down the left side; Tiafoe’s was green with a multi-colored mix of colors on the front that Coco Gauff described as “confetti.”
Both were soaked by sweat throughout, because although the temperature had slid from the 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) of the afternoon to about 82 F (28 C) by nighttime, the humidity rose to 70%.
“I’m thinking to myself as I’m walking to get my towel in the fourth set, and it’s like, ‘This is the greatest moment on the tennis court of my life, and I’m in a lot of pain physically,’” Shelton said. “But I’m loving it. I think that was just kind of the story of today.”
Both hit the ball hard. So hard. But Shelton was the one drawing “ooohs” and “aaahs” from the crowd with his every-bit-of-strength lefty forehands that topped 100 mph and serves that zoomed even faster. An ace at 138 mph — he reached 149 mph twice in a fourth-round win against another American, No. 14 Tommy Paul — generated a loud reaction from spectators, as well as a “Yeah!” from the excitable Shelton himself.
“He was able to hit through the ball better than I was,” Tiafoe said.
It was Tiafoe, the one with a tad more experience, whose game was littered with mistakes early. A double-fault here, a flubbed over-the-shoulder volley that bounced way in front of the net there.
Maybe he just was unaccustomed to being the one in the favorite's role at this stage of a Slam.
“It's a different seat to be in. Obviously Ben really wanted to win. Ben came out and played with a lot of energy,” Tiafoe said. “Obviously a lot of times (when) I play late in tournaments, I’ve been the underdog, so I just go out and play. Kind of like how Ben did — play and swing and do whatever you want.”
When Tiafoe pushed a forehand long to cede the match’s first break, Shelton yelled and looked over at his guest box, where his father — former pro Bryan, who coached Ben to NCAA team and individual titles at the University of Florida and now coaches him on tour — jumped to his feet.
A 127 mph service winner off Shelton’s racket ended the first set, and he again stared at his box and held the pose for a few seconds.
Shelton celebrated taking the third set by leaning over and pointing to his ear, asking for more noise from the fans, then tapped his chest as he walked to the sideline. Soon enough, he was breaking to get going in the fourth set. In all, he won seven of Tiafoe’s service games.
And when the match ended, Shelton used his hand to pretend it was holding a phone and pantomimed chatting, before hanging up the “call.”



FIFA Announces Highest Ever Score in Bidding History for Saudi Arabia to Host World Cup 2034

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)
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FIFA Announces Highest Ever Score in Bidding History for Saudi Arabia to Host World Cup 2034

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announces the Kingdom's bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup has received a rating of 419.8 out of 500, the highest ever given by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to a file submitted to host the global event, the federation said on Friday.

The announcement was made less than two weeks before the official awarding of the FIFA World Cup hosts for 2030 and 2034 at the extraordinary FIFA congress on December 11.

As part of the bidding process, FIFA conducted an inspection visit in October to review the details of Saudi Arabia’s bid, where officials visited proposed host cities, stadiums, and facilities across the tournament footprint.

Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the landmark event reflects the Kingdom’s support from the highest level of leadership. It represents the backing of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and aligns with the ambitious objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the Saudi people.

Commenting on the report, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: "I extend my deepest gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for their support and empowerment, which played a pivotal role in achieving this outstanding result."

"Saudi Arabia is a footballing nation with a young population that truly love the game. Young people are looking to a bright future. This score by FIFA simply reflects our commitment to grow the game, our rapid transformation and our desire to host the best possible tournament for the entire world to enjoy," he added.

"It is the result of our extensive efforts to present an exceptional bid and a testament to the collaboration between multiple entities across the Kingdom, driven by Vision 2030, which has enabled all sectors to unite behind a bid that represents the aspirations of the Kingdom’s leadership and the ambitions of the Saudi people," he remarked.

Saudi Arabia officially submitted its bid in July under the slogan "Growing. Together", unveiling its ambitious plans to host the world’s first 48-team FIFA World Cup to be held in one country. The bid proposes matches across 15 stadiums in five host cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abha, and NEOM, in addition to 10 other host locations across the Kingdom.

President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal commented: "This exceptional score is the result of the leadership’s support and the guidance of the Crown Prince, whose vision has been the driving force behind the remarkable growth of the sports sector in Saudi Arabia."

"Through this bid, we are committed to delivering an extraordinary tournament experience for players, officials, and football fans worldwide. Football lives at the heart of Saudi culture, and we aim to provide an unforgettable experience that showcases the Kingdom’s rich heritage and the hospitality of its people," he stressed.

Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid unit Hammad Albalawi stated: "We take huge pride in this unprecedented score. It highlights the country’s collaborative efforts to present the highest technical standards throughout this bid."

"Our goal was to highlight how the significant progress we’ve already made in football can benefit the global game and demonstrate our commitment to deliver an exceptional experience for the world’s largest sporting event," he remarked.

"Our bid features five host cities with diverse cultures and landscapes, offering fans unique experiences to explore different regions of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the 10 other host locations will boost the experience for teams and fans with modern training facilities, advanced sports infrastructure, and excellent connectivity between sites," he stressed.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 represents a significant opportunity to showcase the ongoing progress the Kingdom has achieved since the launch of Vision 2030 by Crown Prince Mohammed. This vision has allowed the Kingdom to become a leader in hosting global sport, welcoming over 100 major events across various sports, including the FIFA Club World Cup and the Saudi Arabian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Jeddah.

The Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid supports the Vision 2030 goals of building a vibrant society, fostering athletic talent, contributing to the economy, and improving the quality of life for Saudi citizens and visitors alike. Additionally, the bid will continue to work collaboratively with the Saudi Green Initiative to deliver an environmentally sustainable and exceptional edition of the tournament.