"He has that Carlos Alcaraz effect, especially here in New York" - Ben Shelton hails "electric" Frances Tiafoe ahead of US Open QF clash
Ben Shelton drew a parallel between Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz's ability to engage the crowd ahead of the all-American quarterfinal at the 2023 US Open.
20-year-old Shelton became the youngest man to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Andy Roddick in 2002. The world No. 47 defeated compatriot Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 50 minutes to reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows.
Tiafoe, on the hand, secured a 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 win over Rinky Hijikata to set up the blockbuster all-American clash for a place in the semifinals.
Ben Shelton spoke highly of Frances Tiafoe ahead of their clash, praising the world No. 10's electrifying style of play and describing their brotherly bond on tour. The 20-year-old lauded Tiafoe's on-court skills as well as his ability to engage the crowd.
"Yeah, Frances as a player is electric. He's kind of been like a brother to me since I've been out here on tour and a guy who has kind of told me that he believed in me from my first ATP tournament. Just a great guy off the court. But on the court a nightmare to deal with. He does so many things well. One of them being engaging the crowd," he said in his post-match press conference.
Describing the 25-year-old as "must-see TV," Shelton likened Tiafoe's appeal to that of Carlos Alcaraz. He also expressed his eagerness to face off against the World No. 10 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"He's just one of those guys where it's must-see TV. You want to watch him play all the time. He kind of has that Carlos Alcaraz effect, especially here in New York. This is his place where he really wants to show up. To be able to play against him in the quarterfinals on Arthur Ashe is something that's pretty special," he added.
"There's a million things Frances Tiafoe can do to try to throw me off" - Ben Shelton ahead of US Open QF
Ben Shelton joked about Frances Tiafoe's ability to employ various tactics to deliberately disrupt his game during their highly anticipated quarterfinal clash at the 2023 US Open.
"There's a million things Frances can do to try to throw me off. Who knows if he tries them or not. I wouldn't be surprised if he does," he said.
The 20-year-old opened up about anticipating some lighthearted banter during the encounter. He also said that their friendship would remain intact regardless of the competitive battle for a place in the semifinals.
"I'm sure there could be a little chirp back and forth once or twice during the match. It's all friendly stuff. We're going to compete hard to make the semifinals of a slam, that's for sure. I'm 100% sure that we're still going to be friends," he added.
Should Ben Shelton emerge victorious over Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals, he will take on the winner of the match between Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic in his maiden Grand Slam semifinal.