Ben Shelton knocks out Carlos Alcaraz in US Open quarter-final thriller

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain crashes out of the US Open after a five-set thriller against Ben Shelton.

With this surprising knocking out, the defending champion was knocked out of the quarterfinals with 6-7(5) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6(10-7) on Tuesday, marking the end of his bid for back-to-back titles at the Grand Slam.

Despite battling an avalanche of unforced errors, Alcaraz made his way back from a tight first-set loss to level the match at two sets apiece, only to watch American powerhouse Shelton shift into a higher gear down the stretch and seal the victory.

In a post-match interview after the victory, Shelton said, "For me, it is always about the people in the crowd. Whether it is my coaches or my team over there, all my friends and family, or even the city of New York that showed up tonight till 3 a.m. With the USA chants until the very end by the crowd, that's what got me the win tonight."

Shelton’s victory sets up a semifinal clash with fellow American Frances Tiafoe, keeping alive the hopes of a first American men's Grand Slam champion for the first time since 2003.

The 23-year-old claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal. Now he is in 13-2 across the North American hard court swing.