NEW YORK — Ben Shelton quit during his third-round match at the US Open on Friday because of a left shoulder injury.
The No. 6-seeded Shelton, a two-time major semifinalist, stopped after dropping the fourth set against Adrian Mannarinoforcing a fifth set. The injury was perhaps caused when he landed on his left arm after tracking down a ball in the corner on the final point to win the third set.
But early in the fourth, the 2023 US Open semifinalist began wincing and said to his coach’s box, “I did something to my shoulder. I don’t know what it is.”
He received treatment in the middle of the set, when the trainer rubbed some cream on his left shoulder, and tried to shorten the points afterward by consistently attacking the net. But after Mannarino won the set, Shelton was visited again by the trainer and called off the match, leaving the court with a towel over his head and tears in his eyes.
Mannarino, a 37-year-old from France, picked up his first victory in 23 career matches against top-10 players in Grand Slam tournaments.
“When he started to have pain, he was leading in the match,” Mannarino said. “Honestly, he would have probably won that match.”
Shelton was certainly a heavy favorite in it after coming in with a 14-2 record this summer on hard courts and winning the title in Toronto, where he routed Mannarino early in the tournament.
Shelton was one of the best hopes to give the U.S. its first men’s major champion since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open. Another of them, No. 17 seed Frances Tiafoewho had reached the semifinals in Flushing Meadows in two of the previous three years, was eliminated with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) loss to German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
Shelton’s left-handed serve is one of the most powerful in tennis, and his 140-mph ace in the first set matched the third-fastest of this US Open.
He still cranked up some hard ones after the injury, but repeatedly grabbed at the shoulder after — or even in the midst of — points.
Bryan Shelton, his father and coach, told the 22-year-old to come forward, hoping to end the points quickly. Ben Shelton had 13 serve-and-volley points in the fourth set after only three in the first three sets, and he was at the net for a missed volley when Mannarino broke him for a 4-3 lead in the fourth.
Shelton fought off four set points in his next service game before Mannarino held on to win the set. Mannarino, ranked No. 77, left the court for a bathroom break as Shelton sat on his bench, with his father motioning his arms to tell his son to call it off, which he did when Mannarino returned.
“I’m 37 years old,” Mannarino said. “It’s the first time I’m winning a match from the toilet.”
