"Back to business" - Ben Shelton celebrates as Trae Young shines in Atlanta Hawks' triumph over Brooklyn Nets
Ben Shelton praised Trae Young's performance for the Atlanta Hawks against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. With Young leading the way, the Hawks opened their season with a 120-116 win over the Nets.
In addition to his love for tennis, Shelton is also a basketball fan. One notable instance of his love for the hoops came in February when he and Tommy Paul showcased their basketball skills at the American Airlines Arena, home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.
In the Hawks' opening game this NBA season, Trae Young had an impressive performance with 30 points and 12 assists. Onyeka Okongwu was also instrumental to the Hawks' victory, adding a career-high 28 points at the State Farm Arena. Despite performing below his usual standards, Jalen Johnson achieved his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Also, Zaccharie Risacher contributed seven points, shooting 2-of-8 from the field
Currently competing at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Ben Shelton shared a post from the Atlanta Hawks highlighting Trae Young's performance and numbers in the game. Taking to his Instagram stories, Shelton wrote:
"Back to business @traeyoung"
Shelton's win-loss record this season reads 37-23, with his first title win coming in April at the Men’s Clay Court Championship. The 22-year-old will be hoping to add to his trophy collection with his second title of the season at the Swiss Indoors.
Ben Shelton reaches Swiss Indoors 2024 QF
On the tennis court, meanwhile, Ben Shelton has reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 Swiss Indoors in Basel. The American defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round and then faced home hope Stan Wawrinka for a place in the quarterfinals.
Wawrinka, who recently dismissed retirement speculations, showed resilience in the first set but ultimately lost in the tiebreaker. Shelton then maintained the momentum in the second set, winning the match 7-6 (2), 7-5.
After the match, Shelton assessed his performance, saying that although he struggled to return Wawrinka's serves, he was happy with how he defended. Speaking on-court, Shelton said (via Tennis.com),
"I was struggling to return his serve, and I thought he put the ball in some tricky positions. I was happy with the way I defended my break points, and being clutch in the big moments is what won me the match today."
Ben Shelton will face top seed Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, marking their first meeting on tour.