CNN
 — 

Ben Shelton pulled off an upset in opposition to fellow American and world No. 10 Frances Tiafoe in 4 units within the US Open quarterfinals early Wednesday.

In the first-ever US Open quarterfinal match between two Black American males, the 20-year-old Shelton defeated final 12 months’s runner-up 6-2 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2 in New York.

Shelton – the youngest American male to attain a US Open semifinal since a 20-year-old Michael Chang made it in 1992 – will subsequent play 23-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic on Friday.

“I feel like I left it all out here tonight. Emotional battle,” Shelton mentioned after the match. “Thanks to all you guys for staying so late. Hell of an atmosphere, and thanks for pushing me over the line.”

“Sometimes you got to shut off the brain, close your eyes and just swing,” Shelton mentioned on the third-set tiebreaker. “Maybe there was a little bit of that, down a set point, but it ended up working out.”

With the victory, the 2022 NCAA singles champion Shelton will transfer from No. 47 and into the highest 20 within the males’s world singles rating.

Shelton was requested if he knew who he would face subsequent.

“Yeah, he’s won 23 of these or something like that,” Shelton mentioned about Djokovic. “It doesn’t get much better than that. It’s been tough the last two matches. I’ve been playing Americans, but hopefully you guys bring it for me two nights from now.”