Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz won the first doubles clash of the 2024 Laver Cup to secure a big point for Team World.
Shelton said he and Fritz would be aggressive, with the pair drawn to face Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev on day one.
And it was the Team World duo who emerged victorious, defeating the Team Europe pairing 7-6(7-5), 6-4 after one hour and 35 minutes.
Shelton looks up to John McEnroe, with the former clearly wanting to impress once more under the latter following his previous success in the tournament.
It is McEnroe’s last Laver Cup as captain, with the seven-time major champion set to be replaced by Andre Agassi.
Ben Shelton teases Taylor Fritz doubles partnership at Grand Slams
And Shelton certainly did his captain and his team proud, producing a superb display alongside Fritz to see off a difficult challenge.
Shelton has now discussed his successful first-time pairing with Fritz, saying on court after the win: “It makes life pretty easy when you’re playing with a guy who is moving like Taylor is right now, he’s pretty light on his feet. We had a lot of fun.
“This was our first time playing together and I think the chemistry was pretty good. It’s tough that we can’t play again together here, but I think you’ll see us on the doubles court in the future somewhere.”
Asked where he think that might be, Fritz replied: “Who knows, definitely some tournaments down the line we’ll test it out a bit more, and if it keeps going well you could see us at a Davis Cup maybe.”
Can Ben Shelton help Team World win another Laver Cup?
Shelton shone on the doubles court in the 2023 Laver Cup, but that was alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe.
He won on both occasions to help Team World to a second successive Laver Cup success, with another trophy now being eyed.
His singles ability will also be tested in Berlin, and the same goes for Fritz, who made a winning Laver Cup doubles debut alongside Shelton.
READ MORE: Everything to know about the 2024 Laver Cup from prize money to players
Alcaraz and Zverev meanwhile will be disappointed with the result, with the duo unable to put a point on the board for Bjorn Borg.
As is the case with McEnroe, Borg will step down as Team Europe captain for the 2025 Laver Cup, with Yannick Noah taking over in San Francisco.
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