Novak Djokovic reacts to the crowd after defeating Ben Shelton during the men's singles semifinals of the US Open. Photo /AP
Novak Djokovic reacts to the crowd after defeating Ben Shelton during the men's singles semifinals of the US Open. Photo /AP
Novak Djokovic mocked his defeated opponent Ben Shelton with a “hang up the phone” gesture after completing a straight-sets victory in the US Open semifinal.
The 20-year-old Shelton had used this distinctive celebration after his quarter-final victory over compatriot Frances Tiafoe, miming taking a call and then putting the handset down to suggest that he was “dialled in”.
So when Shelton banged his final forehand into the net, and Djokovic echoed his actions, it felt like a way of putting the young pretender in his place.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, a fellow ATP player, tweeted that the gesture was “cold”.
Novak Djokovic hangs up the phone on Ben Shelton after beating him at the US Open. 📞🥶 pic.twitter.com/aTnjVFDWHY
Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 win meant that he equalled a 94-year-old record set by Bill Tilden, the greatest American player of the inter-war era. These are now the only two men to reach 10 US Open finals.
In the other semifinal, defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was upset in a 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 loss to Daniil Medvedev.
It seems surprising, given Djokovic’s usual efficiency, that his nine previous visits have only brought him three titles – a 33 per cent winning ratio that he will be keen to improve on Sunday.
This was a classic schooling, of the kind that Djokovic has handed out to dozens of young challengers over the years. At 20 years old, Shelton’s progress to this point was reminiscent of the teenage Boris Becker, as he deployed his mighty left-handed serve to overpower much older men. But Shelton is also still raw and Djokovic is the master of exposing an opponent’s weaknesses.
There was a hint of Shelton’s talent in the opening game. The sort of player who spins the dice, he went for a pair of huge returns of serve before rushing the net and putting each point away with a volley winner.
Novak Djokovic on his phone celebration after beating Ben Shelton:
“I just love Ben’s celebration. I thought it was very original. I copied him. I stole his celebration.” pic.twitter.com/AAi45MBClr
Ben Shelton on Novak Djokovic doing his phone celebration at US Open:
“I didn’t see it until after the match. I don’t like when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can or can’t celebrate. If you win the match you deserve to do whatever you want. As a kid… pic.twitter.com/Xj8dDpocvH
The fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium were already beside themselves with excitement at this fearless young wannabe. But Djokovic knows how to put these sorts of upstarts back in their box. He staved off the danger with a forehand winner and a pinpoint serve, before gradually establishing the metronomic rhythm that has made him the most successful male in tennis history.
At this stage, Shelton looks like a player for the TikTok generation – a man who produces spectacular points but cannot sustain his accuracy for long enough against the elite. He had previously seen off a pair of compatriots in Tiafoe and Tommy Paul to reach this stage, but neither put up a sustained fight.
Ben Shelton had used the "hang up the phone" celebration after his quarter-final victory over Frances Tiafoe. Photo / AP
Djokovic is in an entirely different class to either of those men and he successfully defused most of Shelton’s weapons. Take the surprise 230km/h second serve that Shelton sent down in the opening game of the second set. Djokovic bunted it back and won the point anyway.
Yes, 230km/h might sound fast – and it was a higher figure than anyone else has posted at this event, with another American, Taylor Fritz, currently in second place on the leaderboard with 229km/h. But while Shelton reached that mark twice, this was still 10km/h down on his best figure for the tournament. Judging by the livid red circles dotted around Shelton’s serving shoulder – evidence that he has been visiting a “cupping” therapist – he was feeling the strain from his recent labours. He has not only reached the singles semifinal here, but also the same stage of the mixed doubles, even if his campaign in the men’s doubles ended in the first round.
Novak Djokovic reacts after defeating Ben Shelton during the men's singles semifinals of the US Open. Photo / AP
As he becomes more experienced, he will probably realise that this is too big a workload. There was an injury scare on Thursday when he grabbed at his hamstring during his mixed-doubles exit alongside his partner Taylor Townsend. Fortunately, though, his movement seemed unaffected against Djokovic. Perhaps he isn’t quite as electrifyingly fast off the mark as his contemporary Carlos Alcaraz but he still makes most of the field look sluggish.
There was a small sense of jeopardy towards the end of set three. Shelton broke serve for the first time in the match, to move to 4-4, and then broke again to earn a tie-break. But Djokovic, the adamantine wall, blocked this small avenue of hope with some typically flawless play. His recent tie-break record at the majors stood at P16 W15, with the exception coming against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, and he snuffed out the challenge to complete the job in 2hr 41min.
Shelton finished with 30 winners, but his ace count – previously running at just over 15 per match – was down to a mere five. This was partly down to Djokovic’s peerless returning, but also perhaps that overworked serving shoulder.
