Tiafoe exacts US Open revenge on Shelton in all-American five-set epic

NEW YORK :Frances Tiafoe weathered a Ben Shelton storm in a captivating all-American blockbuster to win 4-6 7-5 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3 and move into the last 16 of the U.S. Open on Friday.

Both players have had semi-final runs at Flushing Meadows in the past and it was the electric Tiafoe who prevailed in a four-hour battle in what was a repeat of last year's quarter-final match-up, where the younger Shelton had won in four sets.

The two players are good pals off the court but set their friendship aside and after Shelton promised a 'war', the clash lived up to its billing, bringing the crowd to its feet on several points and rallies as the match went the distance.

Shelton, who held a 2-0 head-to-head record going into the contest, fired 23 aces and 63 winners but ultimately Tiafoe exacted revenge and earned a fourth-round clash with either defending champion Novak Djokovic or Alexei Popyrin.

"Ben's an incredible player man, he really is. He goes for all kinds of shots, he's got no care in the world, it's really annoying. He's got a great serve and he has great energy out here," Tiafoe said.

"He can come up with great shots, so can I. We both move really well, so it's just highlight after highlight. I really hope you guys enjoyed the show, four hours of this battle."

After Coco Gauff warmed up the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a gritty comeback win, the fans were relatively muted as the two players went through the motions in the opening set.

But they instantly came to life on a thrilling rally where the net cord brought both players scrambling to the net and Shelton eventually won the point when the referee stopped play after Tiafoe had touched the net to concede a 4-1 lead.

Shelton continued to entertain the crowd with his shots,