India, Sept. 13 -- From one left-hander, who won four of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the US Open, to another, who is into his maiden major final in New York. Ben Shelton took advice from legendary Rafael Nadal before his US Open run, and it laid the blueprint for his march to the final, where he will face Alexander Zverev.

His coach and father, Bryan Shelton, told the media after his son's semifinal win over compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 that he had called Nadal last month after Ben suffered a first-round exit in Cincinnati. Those words of wisdom helped the Florida resident reset after his sensational five-set win over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

"I think you learn from your experiences," said 60-year-old former...