‘Beat guys I’ve never beaten’: One win in US Open history Ben Shelton embraces ‘unchartered territory’

Ben Shelton of the USA celebrates winning his semi-final match against Frances Tiafoe of the USA. Ben Shelton said he was enjoying being in unfamiliar territory after reaching the first Grand Slam final of his career at the US Open. The American believes that greater consistency helped him make the breakthrough in New York.Shelton defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday (local time) to book a place in the final against Germany’s top seed Alexander Zverev.The 23-year-old is now one win away from ending the United States’ 23-year wait for a Grand Slam men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. He is also aiming to become the first black American to win a US Open title since Arthur Ashe in 1968.“This whole tournament has been uncharted territory at this point,” Shelton told reporters, as quoted by Reuters. “I’m in positions I’ve never been in before. I’ve beaten guys I’ve never beaten before. I’m just excited to put it all on the line.”“I can think about how cool this moment is and what I’m playing. At the end of the day, I’m here in New York, I’m hanging out with my team, I’m with my friends and I’m playing a little bit of tennis, and I’ve been able to play down the moment well.”“I have great people around me who keep me grounded, focused and humble, and I think I want to cherish these moments, I don’t want to take them lightly. But at the same time, it’s a very business-like way that I’ve gone about it.”Shelton admitted he’ll be nervous before the biggest match of his career, but said it’s something he’s learned to embrace.“There are always nerves,” he added.“It’s something you have to lean into. The nerves are the same for me in the first round as they were in the semi-finals and I’m sure the final will be the same.“It’s something you have to be able to overcome, but I’m having fun, you know, playing against the No. 1 seed, playing against a Grand Slam champion who’s trying to get his first.“It’s a lot of reasons why this is a nice moment for me. To know that I can leave it all on the court and push myself to the absolute limit … and see what I can do is an exciting thought.”