{
  "id": 6443191,
  "title": "Late nights at the US Open add a new wild wrinkle with 3:33 a.m. finish to Shelton-Alcaraz thriller",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/late-nights-at-the-us-open-add-a-new-wild-wrinkle-with-3-33-a-m",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T16:49:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/2026/09/09/late-nights-at-the-us-open-add-a-new-wild-wrinkle-with-333-a-m-finish-to-shelton-alcaraz-thriller"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The U.S. Open's late-night matches have hit a new extreme, culminating in a 3:33 a.m. finish to a thrilling quarterfinal showdown between Ben Shelton and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz. The grueling 4 1/2-hour match extended the list of early-morning contests that have frustrated fans and raised concerns about the tournament's scheduling.\n\nShelton, a 23-year-old from Atlanta, earned a hard-fought victory over the second-seeded Alcaraz with a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) scoreline. He secured the win with a blistering 146-mph ace in the fifth-set tiebreak, putting an end to Alcaraz's 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments.\n\nThis late-night encounter added to a string of post-2 a.m. finishes at the Grand Slam event, which had already surpassed previous records. Notably, Venus Williams faced the latest start in U.S. Open history at 12:13 a.m., as Novak Djokovic's first-round loss to her extended to 4 hours and 36 minutes.\n\nThe match at Arthur Ashe Stadium drew a modest crowd, with the arena only one-third full during the finish. Shelton's victory set up an all-American semifinal clash against 11th-seeded Frances Tiafoe, ensuring the United States' presence in Sunday's final as they chase their first major men's title since Andy Roddick's triumph in 2003.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Shelton stuns Alcaraz in late, late show to reach US Open semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/shelton-stuns-alcaraz-in-late-late-show-to-reach-us-open-semis",
        "published": "2026-09-09T07:38:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Sky News",
        "title": "Defending champion out of US Open after latest-ever finish",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/defending-champion-out-of-us-open-after-latest-ever-finish",
        "published": "2026-09-09T08:34:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}