Ben Shelton and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard put on a heartwarming show yesterday, following their hotly-contested Basel Open final.
In a surprising turn of events, the latter competitor would win, cementing his first-ever title at this level, and firmly establishing himself within the top 32 in the world rankings.
There was no moping about from Ben Shelton though, who genuinely looked pleased for his opponent to have beaten him on the day.
And what he would say to him on court only reinforced that suggestion.
Ben Shelton full of praise for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Speaking on court after the final, Shelton cut an upbeat figure.
After all, whilst he was likely disappointed to have lost, seeing someone who he clearly shares a good relationship with win instead of him must make it easier to take.
Mpetshi Perricard was just too good for him on the day, which would have been another factor to soften the blow.
When conducting his interview, the American argued that, despite his youth and inexperience, the 21-year-old has already done a great thing for the sport.
Shelton stated: ‘First of all, obviously I want to congratulate Gio on a great week, a great match today. I almost killed myself trying to return your serve. So many other parts of your game have improved so much.
‘You’re such a great young talent and so good for the sport. It’s cool to see so many different styles out here on tour and you add so much so congrats on an outstanding breakout season. Going from 200 in the world to 30 in the world in ten months is something to be very very proud of.’
Shelton emulated Andre Agassi with his performance at the Basel Open, and also deserves praise despite failing to take that final step.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s run to the Basel Open title
Kickstarting his Basel Open campaign against James Duckworth, Mpetshi Perricard scored an easy and early triumph over the Australian.
The first set would be the first of six tiebreaks he would contend over the week.
Next up came a real challenge, facing Felix Auger Aliassime. However, he brushed aside the Canadian with remarkable comfort, winning the first set 6-1 before then claiming yet another tiebreak.
His first setback of the week came when Denis Shapovalov soared into a shock first-set lead, but this merely allowed Mpetshi Perricard to showcase his mental toughness, coming from behind to set up a semi-final showdown against Holger Rune.
Going into the tie, the 21-year-old had endured a turbulent 2024, resulting in a few strong runs but plenty more early exits.
He simply didn’t have the answers to compete with the 6 foot 8 powerhouse, who served 17 aces, the least in one match throughout the week.
Across just five matches, Mpetshi Perricard recorded 109 aces, crushing Shelton in the final to take the trophy home.
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