Day 5: An exhilarating experience at the US Open

After witnessing some incredible tennis the past few days in Flushing Meadows, something special happened yesterday. Every visit to the US Open holds this promise: you just might be transported to a different realm.

If you're a tennis player, you know the feeling. The zone. In today's tennis parlance — pros refer to it as moving up a "level" as they transcend their standard play to something higher. And yesterday, the level was high.

I watched two matches yesterday. First off, I consumed a fantastic showdown between two friends — Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. Both have ties to Florida. Tiafoe recently got a home in Boca Raton and Shelton spent a great deal of time in Gainesville in college as a Florida Gator.

Tiafoe experienced a tough year after his loss (last year) to Shelton in New York. His confidence waned. His ranking plummeted. But he's been on an upswing lately.

Photo: Todd Pechter for Florida Tennis.

New coach David Witt seems to be making an impact on Tiafoe. His composure, shot selection, and cool-under-pressure approach is a winning one. Facing the firey Shelton, Big Foe's new mindset appears to be paying off.

Tiafoe played percentage tennis. He raised his level when needed but didn't overplay. The opposite, however, was on display with Shelton. He's a wild, wild talent. Untamed on the tennis court. Going for way too much. Sometimes, he gets away with it. Fueled by emotion and adrenaline. But he must mature as a player to progress.

In the end, Tiafoe got the win: avenging his loss at the US Open last year 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3.

Next up, I watched what I thought would be the match of the tournament (so far). It turned out to be all that and more. Brandon Nakashima trained for his comeback in Florida last fall at the Emilio Sanchez Academy in Naples. He's been on a tear lately — taking out Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Arthur Fils, and Holger Rune in the past few weeks. 

Photo: Todd Pechter for Florida Tennis.

Facing OIympic bronze medal winner, Lorenzo Musetti, would be a major challenge for the American. Musetti, along with Dimitrov, might be one of the most aesthetically-pleasing players to watch. His stroke production is simply gorgeous. Of course, the silky one-handed backhand helps. The Italian is so talented, it's scary.

Nakashima decided to blitz Musetti early. His level was so high, there was barely any oxygen for Musetti to breathe. Musetti got toyed with... Nakashima was playing lights-out tennis. It was something to behold. First set: Nakashima 6-2. 

After getting decimated in Set 1, Musetti came out guns-blazing for Set 2. His level rose to Nakashima's and soared even higher. Meanwhile, Brendon fell back to earth. Just a bit. But it was enough for the Italian to take the second set: Musetti 6-3.

The next two sets are a reminder of why fans love to watch live tennis at America's Slam. The crisp, cool weather was a stark contrast to the hot-blooded Italian and NY fans. Cheers: loud. Tensions: high. Vibe: shockingly electric. And both players raised their games to absolutely stratospheric levels.

In the end, Nakashima swept the final two sets: 6-3, 7-6. It was, in short, the best tennis I've witnessed in the past few years. If there's ever a rematch between these two players — I'm there.

My two cents: keep a close eye on Nakashima. He could, quietly, be America's breakout player in New York this year. You heard it here first.

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Written by Florida Tennis Editor and Publisher Matt Pressman. Top photo: Todd Pechter for Florida Tennis.