Novak Djokovic Beats Ben Shelton to Play for a twenty fourth Grand Slam Singles Title

Every time Ben Shelton, the 20-year-old Floridian thunderbolt, took the court docket on the U.S. Open this 12 months he placed on one of many best exhibits of the match.

He was a racket-waving spotlight reel as soon as extra on Friday afternoon within the semifinals, taking part in the form of tennis that would make each American fan pay homage to the spirit of “Big” Bill Tilden or no matter magical power led Shelton to pursue tennis as an alternative of soccer as he turned an adolescent.

That second serve of 143 miles per hour, and the horrifying forehand the child ripped throughout the court docket. The athleticism he confirmed floating again to show stable lobs into fearless, rocking overhands. Those arms rippling out of his sleeveless shirt, and the spirit, too, the best way he yelled out an exuberant “yeah!” like a child on the playground each time he snatched an enormous level. And that contact on the drop volleys, that land and spin again towards the web.

Unfortunately for Shelton, the scoring system in tennis provides no type factors, and in Novak Djokovic he confronted not solely a 23-time Grand Slam winner and the best participant of the fashionable period however the final practitioner of tennis tai chi. For years, and by no means greater than in his newest stretch of dominance, the 36-year-old Djokovic has been turning the facility and magnificence of the flashiest and strongest challengers towards them.

And that’s precisely what Djokovic did Friday. Playing in a document forty seventh Grand Slam semifinal, Djokovic executed the kind of tactical deconstruction of Shelton that has crushed the desires and good vibes and flash that so many youthful gamers have come at him with earlier than. Without utilizing an oz extra power than he needed to, Djokovic took aside the younger man with the sculpted arms, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), in simply over two and a half hours.

For many of the afternoon, he caught up with Shelton’s drop pictures from the again of the court docket like a cheetah chasing his lunch, and picked off the missiles on Shelton’s serve like he was catching butterflies in a subject on a late summer time afternoon. When it ended with Shelton whipping a forehand into the web, Djokovic even stole Shelton’s much-talked-about post-match celebration — miming a cellphone at his ear then slamming it down earlier than giving the younger lad an icy handshake.

Understand now, Djokovic appreciates a flashy tennis highlights as a lot as anybody. Taking the court docket for the third set holding a virtually insurmountable — towards him — two-set lead, he swung nearly as onerous as he might and watched Shelton feather a drop volley. Djokovic gave the second the racket clap it deserved. Lovely play, younger man. Minutes later he cruised into the court docket and rolled a passing shot to interrupt Shelton’s serve and spirit as soon as extra.

Djokovic did all this in entrance of a crowd of practically 24,000 followers at Arthur Ashe Stadium revved up for a high-octane brawl. With thunderstorms within the space, the roof was closed, and each time Shelton put collectively a kind of shows of energy and contact and velocity and athleticism and got here away with the purpose, the blast of the roars was one thing that felt like you may attain out and contact.

That was by no means extra true than when Shelton trailed 2-4 within the third set, desperately attempting to increase the match. He discovered himself with a degree to interrupt Djokovic’s serve and didn’t disappoint, drawing Djokovic into a large forehand that generated a brain-rattling sound. Two video games later, amid Djokovic’s solely error-strewn and poor-serving lull of the day (it occurs), he held a break level and all the great vibes.

And then as soon as extra, Djokovic stifled the second along with his trademark effectivity — a 124 mp.h. serve out large that Shelton couldn’t deal with. Order had been restored.

There was nonetheless just a little extra Shelton and Djokovic for the packed stadium to take pleasure in. Shelton saved match level and despatched the third set to a tiebreaker, then caught round a bit when he went down, 5-1. But Djokovic had issues to do and a rightful place in his thirty sixth Grand Slam remaining. Shelton whipped that forehand into the web and it was Djokovic’s flip to bask within the noise — and to hold up the cellphone.