CHARLESTON, S.C. – – Karen Khachanov has a solid ATP Tennis background, like three Grand Slam tournament singles semifinals. But when Alexander Zverev decides that none of that matters, the game’s over.
Make no mistake about it, Knachanov knows how to rally a tennis ball. The 30-year-old Russian did everything but win a set against Zverev.
Oh, he came close, but never got closer than 6-4 and 6-5 set points in two tiebreakers. Top seed Zverev always came through when a set was in jeopardy during Friday afternoon’s U.S. Open semifinals where Zverev prevailed, 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6).
On paper, it looks like Zverev will have a much tougher job in close quarters when he takes on giant-killer Ben Shelton in Sunday afternoon’s U.S. Open men’s singles final. As expected, Shelton scored a solid 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory over American Francis Tiafoe in the night semifinals.
No one on the tennis tour runs and jumps more effectively than Shelton. He probably could play both sides of the net, running and jumping from the two sides. And wait until this soon-to-be 24-year-old turns loose on a forehand, a backhand or an overhead. He’s a mighty man at 6-4.
His own brand, things like his books, T-shirts, sportswear and footwear among other things, can be found on the internet. To top it off, he’s left-handed.
No wonder, everyone seems to love Ben.
Of course, Ben eliminated the face of men’s tennis, Carlos Alcaraz, in a five-set quarterfinal that was the latest match ever to finish at the U.S. Open when it ended in a 10-7 tiebreaker with Shelton’s 146 mph bullet of a tennis ball.
Enough about that. It was late enough again on Friday night when Shelton took care of Tiafoe.
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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
