After a grueling three-and-a-half-hour match, Gator alum Ben Shelton lost to Alexander Zverev in the U.S. Open Men’s Singles final. With a 5-0 record against Shelton, Zverev came into the match with the advantage. But Shelton fought mercilessly throughout, with a final match score of 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.
The match kicked off with an extended rally between the opponents, previewing the many to come throughout the final. Shelton showcased his talents immediately with an ace, but three errors, including a double fault during break point, led him to give up the first game to Zverev.
In the match, each opponent's playing style was similar, as both played highly aggressively with fast first serves and precise ball placement. Even with Shelton’s serves having a reputation of their own, Zverev showed he can create power and take over the game with his serve after winning the second game of the first set, furthering his lead to 2-0.
Shelton responded by easily winning the third game by changing up his serves, leading Zverev to not score a single point.
However, Zverev consistently served harder than Shelton on his first serve throughout the match, forcing Shelton to face an equally skilled opponent in an area where he usually shines. But as the Gator does best, Shelton’s serves allowed him to gain another game with no points scored by Zverev and bring the score to 3-2.
Coming into the match, Shelton had to learn to not go for aggressive shots and take the time to open up the court to place the ball well. Meanwhile, Zverev is known for having great court coverage.
With the first deuce point at 4-2 in the first set, Shelton battled and won with his signature serve and did not let the point go on long, taking the advantage and winning the game right after.
Zverev once again took the early lead in the second set. Shelton responded quickly and brought the score to 1-1.
Shelton continued to show why his serves are among the most raved about in the tennis community, taking yet another game from Zverev with every single point going unanswered by his opponent. The score tied up once again at 3-3.
The crowd's energy throughout the match was a driving force behind the players, especially as some mind games went on between the athletes throughout the second set. The pace of the match was notably slow, especially when Zverev would step up to serve.
An uproar from the crowd arose as Shelton tied the score 6-6 and forced a tiebreak against Zverev. But in the end, Zverev breezed through the tiebreak and took the second set 7-5.
Shelton was able to take his first lead of the match during the third set, taking the first game. He eventually went up 2-1 and held his lead to 4-3.
Both players made improvements throughout the third set, with Shelton playing more patiently and Zverev improving his serve percentage. However, Zverev seemed to struggle to bring up his energy and respond to Shelton’s newfound power. This led Shelton to take the third set 7-5.
The beginning of the fourth set showed a bit of Zverev’s usual playing style as he took the first two games in the set to give him the lead.
The crowd definitely became an added pressure during the fourth set, as people cheering in between serves caused disruptions in play. This seemed to work to the crowd-favorite Shelton’s advantage, though, as he brought the score up to 2-3.
But Zverev kept fighting, using speed and agility to prove his dominance as the world No. 1 and bring the fourth set to 5-2.
In the end, Zverev’s ability to balance playing aggressively and defensively throughout the match led to his victory. He was able to produce high-speed serves and deadly groundstrokes to take his first U.S. Open Title.
Despite the loss, Shelton has improved his overall ranking to world No. 4 and showcased that he can compete against the best on one of the biggest stages.
Contact Alisa Gershman at agershman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @angershman.
Alisa Gershman is a freshman biotechnology major working as the women's tennis reporter this semester. In her spare time she enjoys playing tennis, baking, and hanging out with friends. Go Birds!
