New York, Sept. 12 -- Ben Shelton made history at the US Open, becoming the first Black American man since Arthur Ashe in 1972 to reach the tournament's men's singles final, after defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe in a gripping four-set semifinal here on Friday.
The eighth-seeded Shelton prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to book his maiden Grand Slam final, keeping alive America's hopes of ending a 23-year wait for a men's singles major champion.
Shelton, 23, will face top seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final, after the German defeated Karen Khachanov in the other semifinal.
The significance of the occasion was not lost on either player as Shelton and Tiafoe walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium, named after the last Black American man to play...