Ben Shelton is on a collision course with Carlos Alcaraz... their US Open blockbuster would light up New York

The clocks were ticking towards 10pm in New York when cameras on Louis Armstrong Stadium shifted their focus from the court to the stands.

Ben Shelton had just wrapped up the first set in his second-round match against against Pablo Carreno Busta. Now, though, the time had come for others to take center stage. 

One by one, fans appeared on the jumbotron. And one by one, they seized their moment - twerking or thrusting to the tune of the Jackson 5. 

Perhaps it was the honey deuces. Or perhaps they had simply grown fidgety and were enjoying the chance to finally let loose. After all, for much of Thursday, there hadn't been much to lift them off their seats.

Not on the show courts, anyway. By the time Shelton and Carreno Busta emerged under the lights, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong had played host to six matches. Four were won in straight sets. 

And once Aryna Sabalenka had dispatched Polina Kudermetova, five of eight headline matches had ended within an hour and 40 minutes. 

Novak Djokovic was given a brief scare by American qualifier Zachary Svajda before coasting through in four sets, while No 4 seed Taylor Fritz had to battle back from a set down against Lloyd Harris, too. But neither match will live long in memory.

Nor, in truth, will Shelton's win over Carreno Busta. With his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, in the crowd, the No 6 seed wrapped up a 6-4 6-2 6-4 win to reach round three. But there were enough reminders of why Shelton is among the most intoxicating stars in tennis.

And enough surges of energy around Louis Armstrong to whet the appetite for what's to come later this fortnight. Because the American is on a collision course with Carlos Alcaraz. 

They have never met at Flushing Meadows but they are slated to meet in the quarterfinals. It would be an electrifying clash of charisma, power, athleticism and the fearlessness of youth.

Few players captivate the New York crowd like these two 22-year-olds. Shelton wouldn't look beyond the third round but he heaped praise on Alcaraz, branding him 'probably the most exciting thing in tennis right now.'

'The way he plays, the way he interacts with the crowd, he lights up the court,' the American said. 'I'm 100 per cent sure that the fans here in NYC are loving it. So let's just pray they both make it that far.

Alas, history suggests that's no gimme. Last year, Shelton didn't even get to play a night session - he was beaten in the third round by fellow American Frances Tiafoe.

Alcaraz lost in round two, with the 2022 champion admitting he was scared of another slip-up before facing Mattia Bellucci. In the end, he dropped only four games.

Shelton - a semifinalist here in 2023 - cruised into the third round, too. But no one inside Louis Armstrong felt short changed. 'It was loud in here the whole time,' Shelton said afterwards. 'I heard that buzz in my ear the whole time.'

That was his doing and Carreno Busta played his part, too. They shared some ferocious rallies and Shelton ripped 42 winners.

The crowd responded. At one point in between games, a Mexican wave spread around Louis Armstrong. Shelton sat on his chair with a towel over his head. Make no mistake, though, he wasn't hiding from anything. He thrives under these lights.

'It feels like home,' he said of playing in New York. 'It's an electric atmosphere.' This was nothing compared to what could await him.

Shelton has lost all three of his meetings with Alcaraz. They first met in a Grand Slam at Roland Garros earlier this year.

The Spaniard won in four sets but Flushing Meadows is a more even playing field. No doubt they will be dancing in the stands once more.