"Screw you, Ben Shelton" - Frances Tiafoe jokingly chides American after Houston final disappointment
Frances Tiafoe jokingly took aim at Ben Shelton to express his disappointment after losing the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston.
Third seed Tiafoe reached the final of the ATP 250 event after defeating James Duckworth, Jordan Thompson, and Luciano Darderi. Shelton, the top seed, battled past Zizou Bergs, Brandon Nakashima, and Tomas Martin Etcheverry en route.
Against Tiafoe, Shelton unleashed his powerful serve to devastating effect, hitting 11 aces and winning 83.33% percent of his first-serve points. It took the 21-year-old two hours and 16 minutes to win the final 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Ben Shelton became the youngest player to win the tournament since a 19-year-old Andy Roddick won it in 2002. The 2023 US Open semifinalist's Houston triumph has also helped him to reach a career-high ranking of World No. 14.
During the trophy presentation ceremony, Tiafoe could not hide his disappointment after failing to win what would have been the fourth ATP Tour title of his career. The 26-year-old also jokingly chided Shelton. However, he ended his speech on an optimistic note, as he urged himself and his team to build on their good work in Houston.
"I mean sucks we couldn't get it done. Screw you Ben, but, yeah, it would have been cool to get number four. We'll get that soon enough. Let's just really build on this and let's have a good 2024," Tiafoe said (via Tennis TV on X).
Shelton now leads 2-0 in the head-to-head against Tiafoe, having previously beaten him in the US Open quarterfinals in 2023.
Frances Tiafoe called his first clash against Ben Shelton a 'monumental moment'
Tiafoe and Shelton clashed for the first time on the ATP Tour in the quarterfinals of last year's US Open. Ahead of the match, Tiafoe spoke about what he would have to do to get the better of his younger compatriot.
"Ben has wanted to play me, talked about wanting to play me, at the US Open for a long time. So he's going to be superexcited. He's going to come out with a lot of energy and I'm going to have to tame him down, try to be the vet and get the win," Tiafoe told Andscape.
Tiafoe also talked about the significance of the match in terms or both himself and Shelton representing people of color on such a prestigious stage.
"It’s going to be good, it’s going to be a great atmosphere. And I think a great representation for people of color, right? You know, two people of color playing in the quarterfinals, a huge match on Arthur Ashe, so a pretty monumental moment. I’m pretty excited to compete against him and hopefully it’s a great battle," Tiafoe added.
Neither Ben Shelton nor Frances Tiafoe will be competing in the Monte-Carlo Masters.