Carlos Alcaraz remained positive despite losing the US Open quarterfinals against Ben Shelton. The American registered a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) win in four hours and 28-minutes at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York on Wednesday night.
The Spaniard admitted he had his chances to get a win against the home favorite but was happy to be back on the tour after missing four months of action due to a wrist injury.
Alcaraz was at his best in the opening set but he was not moving smoothly in the next two sets and Shelton was able to capitalise.
“As I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kinds of matches, for me being healthy,” Alcaraz told reporters after his clash with Shelton ended at 3:33 a.m. local time, the latest finish in US Open history. “It was close. It was close. So I’m just not going to be disappointed about not getting the win at the end. I’m just happy. I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought.
“After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and to physically give extra. In the fifth set I just started to feel better and better, but I was playing against one of the [best]. He is a beast. Shelton is an unbelievable player, powerful. He just managed to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him.
“But I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed.”
Alcaraz had a 5-3 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker in the final set but could not capitalise as Shelton made a roaring comeback.
“The serve is a really good weapon in these kinds of situations, but sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings said. “I remember the last [10-point] tie-break that I played, it was in Paris. It was an unbelievable game that I played in that moment. This time, when you are trying to fight and trying to overcome all the problems you might have physically and obviously when he is serving, he puts a lot of pressure on you.
“You are thinking about, ‘Alright, try to put the return in’. It’s an unknown if you are going to play the point or if he’s going to get a free point with the serve. I think in these moments he takes a lot of advantage with the serve. Not any excuse, but I would say this is an important weapon in those moments.”
Shelton will face Frances Tiafoe in the semifinal.
