Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set US Open quarter-final, ending the Spaniard’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak and advancing to a semi-final against fellow American Frances Tiafoe.

Shelton prevailed 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(7) in a match that lasted four hours and 28 minutes. The contest finished at 3:33 a.m. in New York after a lengthy battle that went the distance.

Shelton overturns previous record against Alcaraz

The victory was Shelton’s first against Alcaraz in four meetings. The American had lost all three of his previous matches against the defending champion before securing the quarter-final win at the US Open.

Shelton recovered from losing the opening set in a tiebreak. He responded by taking the second and third sets before Alcaraz forced a deciding set by winning the fourth 6-1.

The fifth set also went to a tiebreak. Shelton’s listed winning score was 7-6(7), completing a five-set result that lasted well into the early morning in New York.

Alcaraz’s winning run ends

The defeat brought Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak to an end. He had entered the tournament as the defending champion, but his title defense ended in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz appeared to struggle physically during the contest. The Spaniard had returned from a wrist injury before the tournament, although the supplied match information does not specify the extent to which the injury affected his performance.

The result also reshaped the remaining men’s draw. Only two of the tournament’s top 10 seeds remained after the quarter-final, according to the available information.

Shelton sets up all-American semi-final

Shelton’s next opponent will be Frances Tiafoe, setting up a semi-final between two American players. The match will give Shelton an opportunity to continue his run after overcoming his previous losing record against Alcaraz.

His win also means the defending champion will not return to the US Open final. Alcaraz’s elimination, combined with the reduced number of top-10 seeds left in the tournament, leaves a changed field heading into the semi-final stage.

The quarter-final result was decided only after four hours and 28 minutes of play, with both players taking sets and the final set ultimately settled in a tiebreak. Shelton now moves on to the semi-finals, while Alcaraz’s Grand Slam winning run and US Open title defense are over.