Ben Shelton beats Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Shelton, 20 years old, is the first American male since Andy Roddick in 2003 to reach a U.S. Open semifinal.

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There was a time when a U.S. Open quarterfinal match between two powerful American men could simply be called "tennis" as opposed to being a momentous occasion for the game in this nation.

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Shelton, a strong left-handed player whose 112 mph forehands and nearly 150 mph serves have been the talk of the tournament, was accurate in his assessment.

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That wasn't the case on Tuesday and into Wednesday, when Shelton and Tiafoe sparred nonstop as the stadium remained noisy and lively.

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The match came down to a decisive third-set tiebreaker, which Shelton was poised to easily win before committing two straight double faults

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When Shelton throws himself into a serve or a stroke the way only he and current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz can, a certain sound emanates from his racket.

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The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic is up next in the semifinals on Friday.

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