US Open: Shelton takes down Karatsev to advance to Round 4, Paul crushes Fokina to reach pre-quarters

American Ben Shelton advanced to the fourth round, crushing Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 at the US Open on Saturday

New York: American Ben Shelton advanced to the fourth round, crushing Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 at the US Open on Saturday. The 20-year-old got the better of Karatsev after losing in the first round of his debut at the hard-court major the previous year. He advanced after two hours and twenty minutes by hitting 26 aces, including one that was recorded at 147 mph, the fastest serve of the competition.

Shelton will face Tommy Paul in the fourth round where he will aim to reach his second major quarter-final. American Tommy Paul progressed to the fourth round of the year’s final Grand Slam for the first time on Saturday, defeating Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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The local favourite, who came back against an out-of-sorts Spaniard in the first round after falling behind by two sets, put on a commanding performance in the first two sets. After a brief mid-match slump, the 14th seed bounced back, finding his composure in the fourth set to advance after two hours and twenty minutes.

While Davidovich Fokina struggled to find his typical dynamic game during the third-round match, Paul was consistent from the baseline off both wings. Paul had 27 unforced errors compared to 44 made by the Spaniard, however, the American had 12 more wins (39-27).

With the win, Paul increased his lead over the 21st seed in head-to-head battles to 3-0. The 26-year-old would look to continue his winning run against Ben Shelton in the next round.

Paul is currently 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin (2,435 points). The American is bidding to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.