Did Carlos Alcaraz make big ‘tactical mistake’ in US Open loss to Ben Shelton?
Carlos Alcaraz has been told he made a “tactical mistake” that may have cost him in his US Open quarter-final loss to Ben Shelton.
World No 3 Alcaraz’s US Open title defence ended with a 7-6(5), 1-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(7) defeat to ninth-ranked Shelton at Flushing Meadows.
The Spanish icon led 5-3 and 6-5 in the deciding set tiebreak, but he fell just short in a four-hour-and-28-minute late night thriller.
Alcaraz was vying for his third crown at the US Open and his eighth Grand Slam title overall.
The 23-year-old was playing his first tournament since he sustained a right wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April.
Speaking on his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, former world No 4 Greg Rusedski argued that Alcaraz made an error by adopting a deep return position for periods of the match against Shelton.
“I think it was a little bit of a tactical mistake [from Alcaraz],” said the 1997 US Open finalist.
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“I hate to be harsh on it, but if you give Shelton that much time playing that far back, yes, you’re [taking] away the aces, but you’re also not taking any time away from him.
“So, if you think about it, it allows Shelton to have a lot of options, because he can serve and volley, he can get the first strike up if Alcaraz loops it back, and it gives him more time on the ball.
“So, I think I would like to see Carlos try to stand in a little bit more at times like [Jannik] Sinner does, and that’s why Sinner does so well against Shelton is the way he reads it and he steps in and takes it a little bit earlier.
“When you give Shelton that option, and especially with the cleverness of the tactics of serving and volleying, and coming in and striking, and getting in as quick as you can, it was a good play.
“For me, sometimes you give up the aces to get that one or two games where you have a chance to break, because if Shelton’s hitting his spots, it’s almost impossible to break.
“He went the distance, it came down to one or two points, and Shelton played the big points fractionally better, and also in part just because Alcaraz has been away for so long.
“It has been mighty impressive what the Spaniard has done in his first week and a bit back from tennis after four and a half months.”
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