'Worst Pain' And No Gain For Shelton

He retires as seeds tumble but Djokovic achieves 192nd Major hard-court victory

- 

NEW YORK - Ben Shelton's US Open campaign ended in tears on Aug 29, after he withdrew mid-match with a shoulder injury he called the "worst pain" of his life, while milestone man Novak Djokovic battled through his own physical struggles to reach the fourth round.

Canadian Open champion Shelton was locked in an entertaining contest with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the day's opening match on Louis Armstrong Stadium, when his tournament suddenly unravelled at 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

"I just did something to my shoulder, I don't know what it is. I'm in a lot of pain," the American sixth seed told his father and coach Bryan during a medical time-out.

As left-hander Mannarino fought back to level the match at two sets all, a devastated Shelton wiped away tears before withdrawing ahead of the decider, leaving fans gasping at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Shelton's compatriot 17th seed Frances Tiafoe lost 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) to big-serving German Jan-Lennard Struff at the Grandstand, while 10th seed Emma Navarro went down 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to unseeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova in another upset.

As the younger generation nursed their wounds, the 38-year-old Djokovic was making history under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.