New York (AFP) – Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe both crashed out in the third round of the US Open on Friday, dealing a heavy blow to a host nation without a men’s Grand Slam champion in over 20 years.
Sixth seed Shelton, a 2023 semi-finalist and recent Toronto champion, saw his bid derailed by a shoulder injury that forced him to retire against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. Tiafoe, who had reached the semi-finals in New York twice in the past three years, followed Shelton through the exit door shortly after on Friday as he lost in straight sets to German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
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Shelton led Mannarino by two sets to one before hurting his shoulder at the start of the fourth set. He attempted to play through the pain but eventually threw in the towel after the 77th-ranked Mannarino took the match to a deciding set. “I’m not a guy who would retire if I could continue,” said a dejected Shelton, who fought back tears as he walked off the court with a towel draped over his head. He described the pain level as “really high” and was at a loss to explain its origin. “I can’t pinpoint it. Didn’t go in with an injury,” he said. “It hurts. I was playing really well, I was in form, a lot of confidence.”
“Usually, I’ll play through anything and just kind of find a way. And whether it’s sickness or injury, like, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I never felt anything like this before,” he added.
Mannarino acknowledged his good fortune and said Shelton would likely have won the match had injury not struck. “It’s very unfortunate for him and lucky for me,” said Mannarino, who had disappeared for a bathroom break at the end of the fourth set when Shelton called it quits. “I’m 37 years old, it’s the first time I’m winning a match from the toilet.”
Tiafoe then slumped to his earliest US Open exit in six years as the 17th seed was bundled out 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) by Struff, who advanced to the last 16 in New York for the first time. The German had not won a match at Flushing Meadows before this tournament since reaching the third round in 2020. “It’s going to be hard to swallow how I played today and being out of the US Open, for sure, this early,” rued Tiafoe. “I don’t know how to recover from this, to be honest with you. I haven’t been this down in a very, very long time.”
The loss of Shelton and Tiafoe leaves just two Americans in the men’s draw, 2024 runner-up Taylor Fritz and 14th seed Tommy Paul. Fritz overcame plucky Swiss qualifier Jerome Kym in four sets in the night session, advancing 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4. “It’s the US Open, as an American, it’s the most important two weeks of the entire year,” said world number four Fritz. “I want it bad.” Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac awaits Fritz in the fourth round on Sunday. Paul meanwhile next faces the dangerous Alexander Bublik after surviving a brutal five-set epic against Nuno Borges that finished at 1:46 am early Friday. Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open victory is the last men’s major won by an American player.
© 2024 AFP
