WATCH: “One of the best shots I have ever seen,” Ben Shelton compliments Gael Monfils’ phenomenal shot against Andrey Rublev that left the Russian stunned

Andrey Rublev beat Gael Monfils 3-1 in the group stage of UTS Frankfurt.

WATCH: “One of the best shots I have ever seen,” Ben Shelton compliments Gael Monfils’ phenomenal shot against Andrey Rublev that left the Russian stunned

Ben Shelton (L), Gael Monfils' shot (R) (Sources: Vogue, Instagram)

Andrey Rublev recently won the UTS Frankfurt Showdown after a sensational campaign throughout the tournament. He beat Benoit Paire in the semifinals and Grigor Dimitrov in the final to win the lightning trophy, marking an end to his recent trophy drought. On his way to the knockout stage, Rublev faced French international Gael Monfils, which led to an incredible match-up between the two. 

Andrey Rublev faced Gael Monfils in his last Round Robin match in Group B. The Russian won the match 3-1 (19-11, 16-14, 12-13, 13-12) and confirmed his spot in the semis. However, the result does not say half of the story, as Gael Monfils gave an incredible performance in the match. In fact, he played some sensational shots to entertain the masses, which impressed even American tennis player Ben Shelton. 

YouTube video

Ben Shelton took to his Instagram story to praise a particular shot by Gael Monfils that won him a point over Rublev in the match. Returning the 25-year-old’s shot, Monfils hit a phenomenal shot from outside the doubles sideline that Andrey Rublev had no answer to. Ben Shelton called it one of the best shots he had ever seen. “This is one of the best shots I have ever seen,” he wrote on his Instagram story while also sharing a reel of the shot. 

FS Video

Despite facing tough opposition, Monfils lost the match, and Andrey Rublev eventually went on to win the tournament. Rublev recently suffered his ninth back-to-back loss in the Grand Slam quarterfinals, and winning the UTS Frankfurt showdown will definitely add to his confidence. 

Ben Shelton (L), Ben's IG Story (R) (Sources: Sporting News, Instagram)
Ben Shelton (L), Ben’s IG Story (R) (Sources: Sporting News, Instagram)

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Ben Shelton’s ‘Dial in’ celebration gets copied in the Davis Cup

When Ben Shelton came up with his ‘Dial in’ celebration after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the US Open 2023 quarterfinals, little did he know that it would become such a famous trend in the tennis community in no time. 

Novak Djokovic (L), Ben Shelton (R) (Sources: US Open, Tribune)
Novak Djokovic (L), Ben Shelton (R) (Sources: US Open, Tribune)

After beating the Americans, Novak Djokovic copied his celebration in the semifinal, and it became the talk of the town. The tennis world was divided in opinion about the Serb’s actions, as many, including Ben Shelton’s dad, thought that Novak mocked Ben by copying his celebration. Whatever the motive behind the action, it did the job of making the celebration famous perfectly. 

Recently, team Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti copied Ben Shelton’s ‘Dial in’ celebration too after winning his doubles match against Chile following a thrilling last-set tie-break. 

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