Zverev beats Shelton in U.S. Open final for second major title
Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim his second Grand Slam title.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton in the Zverev Shelton U.S. Open final on Sept. 13, winning 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium for his second Grand Slam title.
The German, 29, seized the first two sets before Shelton, 23, mounted a fightback in his first major final. Zverev recovered quickly in the fourth, breaking early and then again to build a 5-2 lead before serving out the championship, according to NBC News and Yahoo Sports.
What was the score in the Zverev-Shelton U.S. Open final?
Zverev won 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2. He took the second-set tiebreak 7-2, Yahoo Sports reported, putting Shelton two sets behind before the American took the third.
Zverev controlled the opener, then held off Shelton in the tiebreak as the American began to find more traction. Shelton eventually broke through in the third set to extend the contest, but the comeback did not carry into the decider.
In the opening game of the fourth set, Shelton led 30-love before a double fault and two unforced errors helped give Zverev the crucial break, according to Yahoo Sports. NBC News reported that Zverev later went up 3-1, received a time violation during the set, and broke Shelton again for 5-2.
Yahoo Sports counted 47 unforced errors from Shelton and 35 from Zverev.
Shelton's run ends, and a long wait goes on
The final was Shelton's first appearance in a Grand Slam title match. His route to Sunday included a 4-hour, 28-minute quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, followed by a semifinal victory over fellow American Frances Tiafoe, NBC News reported.
Shelton had been bidding to become the first American man to win the U.S. Open since Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2003. That wait continues.
Zverev arrived in New York after winning the French Open in June, according to NBC News. He was the top seed at the tournament, ATP Tour reported before the final, and did not lose a set after the second round on his way to facing Shelton.
For Zverev, the trophy adds a second major championship. For Shelton, the breakthrough run stopped one match short, after a final that swung from Zverev's two-set command to a third-set revival and back again.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.