Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 11
Tiafoe Logs 16 Hours at US Open Semi as Shelton Covers 44,143 Feet
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 11

Tiafoe Logs 16 Hours at US Open Semi as Shelton Covers 44,143 Feet

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 11

Summary

  • 16hr 3min on court has carried Frances Tiafoe into the US Open semi-final, the fourth-longest route to the last four since ATP match-time tracking began in 1991.
  • 15hr 41min has gone into Ben Shelton’s run, leaving little freshness gap before their meeting after both survived five-set quarter-finals.
  • 19 sets for Tiafoe and 20 for Shelton underline the attritional buildup, with Shelton also covering 44,143ft during the tournament against Tiafoe’s 39,472ft.
  • That workload leaves the all-American semi-final set up as a potential endurance test as much as a shotmaking contest.

Insights

Beyond the record-breaking late nights and epic comebacks, can Tiafoe or Shelton physically recover to capture the ultimate tennis crown?
Will this unprecedented clash between two African American powerhouses finally shatter the 23-year Grand Slam drought for US men's tennis?