Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe Condensed Match | 2024 US Open Round 3

P Shelton has one of the on the court I think Robbie absolutely double handed back that he has he's got one of the big bit a single-handed SL believe you for that [Applause] sh spank you very much boys in a nutshell J sh St say I told Craig on text earlier today keep your phone handy I'm sure it'll be ringing simple technique right uses his feet here not much of a follow through just accepting the pace of this passing shot this picture my goodness that over a 100 Mil an hour touch touch touch stop play is what they came to see game his drop shot off of the the net core was phenomenal the rat work rack racket work excuse me just slides it right underneath it Francis in a hurry to get to it wasn't able to hit the brakes enough watch this racket work [Applause] fellas francis's foot hitting the net there at the bottom in the Umpire KES kavan quickly calling touch touch but that is a replayable offense so if TFO didn't think he'd done it he could ask for a replay here there you'll see it on the last step pushed off good spot in the first half of the season look matchup is what matters here you've beaten this guy twice including on this court last year this is a good matchup for you and you build [Music] make the most of that opportunity amazing [Applause] I tell you what when the returns have come back surve plus one has been good a lot of serves have come back gentlemen near know with a r smile that just having fun with it I think we all have seen know enough about noat to know that he was one of the things that makes Nick sorry Ben so appealing is he is different like the way that he his energy on the court connection with the crowd is uned right screen next to David Whit that's the longtime friend hitting partner and coach of Francis that's nice KF [Applause] [Applause] this CF and is burn as a result a stunner from TFO do you keep going to the same shot at second serve to the body forand or when do you make the switch when do you try and change things up and probably the best back can return a TFO has made all [Applause] match t back hand is such a simple flat swing guys it's really reminiscent of Nick curios is the I'm not sure if he was retired commentator um but he's wearing a few hats it's a great backhand that that both of those men possess and it it is serve at that shot at your peril mhm cuz Francis just [Applause] there 15 1 [Music] [Applause] in the fourth round jovic playing this evening against Alexi pin who's been a handful for most and had a breakout win in trial his first Masters 1000 just weeks ago guarantees The Joker will be there but but who these guys would certainly think they're playing [Applause] for and France is going to have to defy the odds gentlemen because at the US Open when Ben wins the opening set he is perfect 5 and0 he is is perfect 5 [Applause] and0 so when you want to overcome that head-to head you want to do something that you haven't done before always seems like you got to defy the [Applause] odds snaps in the crowd every now and then when he plays a good point [Applause] that is a crispy angle got your protractor for that one there's a lot of them out there right some of them are I don't think it's a epidemic pretty good he's 23rd out of 50 players in doing that wasn't quite effective enough last year it's led by Casper Roode and then you go to a bunch of one-handed back hands right you got Cy pass you've got demitro you still have to have a decent return game to be a top 10 player J beautiful forand there gets a chance here at 1530 where does Shelton fall he's he's up a bit he's at 33.1 a little bit up from 32.6% last year which was one of the lowest one of the lowest what a clever move that was as he saw the rocket face opening he was sharply forwards wasn't he keep getting into so many points on return that is only going to serve him well John is is the outlier JY he's one of the only guys in the last 33 years who's below 30% of return points one of course you look up serving outlier he's the guy so I wouldn't look at him as an example but the point is [Music] that you let that spin die out a bit I think the spin has been I'm doing him on a couple occasions [Music] [Applause] [Applause] first to play the Feb defense wasn't he throughout the course of the rally but he hung on tight kind of serve does he bring here all the options on the table the slider out wide the bomb five break points coming go in the [Applause] game I like that play gentlemen much money stolen on this point didn't he thought he had it Francis just casually swats that one across for a winner Ste in broad daylight [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] a recovery required here for TPA good finish right here for brances [Applause] definely touching this one over any signs of duress movement wise in that point Nick didn't see it be okay right yeah I wonder if he just caught something on the previous Point certainly caught that drop prob perfect [Music] TF let see if we get a ser and volley here in this game from Sheldon his dad's been asking him to ser and volley once per game this summer up 15 1 mostly been the wide serve in this court that done the damage but every now and then the piper down the middle and finally TFO gets his reward yeah it's looking like a split Precision gentle [Applause] I do see a springb on [Applause] his a professional for many years on the tour is that his mom Lisa her made name is Witkin and more even more so doubles player top 10 doubles player chance here for Shelton so get quickly to the and what a steal that's Francis TFO at is athletic and C he [Music] [Applause] for him here to try and diffuse the situation he may have got lucky in the end but Francis up at 117 Francis making far less as a result good finish from Shelton who has definitely had to work a little harder for his hold throughout the course of this [Applause] match goodness it's about as good as it gets from there we got a good listen in to Brian Shelton instructing Ben to try and gain as much ground as he can in these battles not give up Court position against Fran right off the line Shelton Doing a better uh sorry TFO doing a better job of not getting his serve threatened just two points lost when he made it as well more success in that department in this set it's beautiful Jim here's a question for you there's a lot on the line did you ever take time even if it was just for one point to look around and think man this is pretty cool you just have to stay in the moment and play it shot for shot you don't have time to appreciate everything we could to appreciate that little beauty what a little feathery half volley that was into this one well we try to describe this forehand for you s entered it in the Racket and that was that was a surprise on many levels oh frames the B and look at this love 30 two improbable [Applause] steals yep the bend has undone him just when he thought the ret was in the right position it from coming in still 1530 this is a moment you again take away the middle serve here Force Tia to go wide oh he took that what a pass that was and he's going to look at some more break points for a two sets to one lead [Applause] one of the points of the tournament so far how in the world was this point still going like how does this shot go in love TFO thought it was out and the call never came so he gets back into the rally and that was that's great tennis intelligence a l decision just to sneak up when I'm like a [Applause] Prius Shelton forced to hit the panic button there wasn't he with his last slice didn't know where to go really with his last slice didn't know where to go really this reminds me of that famous crocodile dunde D line that's not a knife this is a knife look at that a little dropped shot then he just Returns the favor just cuts this ball in two thank you [Applause] this feel once again I tell you what Ben was halfway up the court so he didn't have a lot of room to to work with that's how good the shot had to be plenty of skill and feel required on three qu body serve coming here finish on a quick court go hard into it she's neutralized but if you leave it hanging you're toast message G was quite loud cuz I heard it here in my sitting position just wondering [Applause] was come on [Applause] very tough L to execute [Applause] the 63 and MFA was pretty much in the conversation but but this has been more about what Shelton's done in this tiebreaker the question is going to be if it does go the way of Shelton as we suspect it will does tifo have [Applause] 62 [Applause] [Applause] time set sh 143 miles it was dramatic over 71 minutes 76 course very very good Junior was in the quales that year he's made it there you go nearly perfect point from Ben Shelton and that is a ridiculous pass at a time of real crisis [Applause] [Applause] G to the first volume was so good passion he did quite [Applause] incredible looking to convert what a lunging Bing bom mostly 125 on average higher than the fourth third even what a save it later in the and he's asking for a bit more love here he's not going anywhere he aled last year in the fourth I'm not great with the nuances of the tennis ball neck but yeah I think the feedback from the players is it's very Lively I know speaking to the guys even in Cincinnati as fast as the court where they were saying yep you know the ball's pretty Lively they use the same ball throughout the summer here which I think is good it certainly was Lively there in Cincinnati because it didn't fluff d [Applause] Sumptuous pass we know that these guys have got plenty of power but the old school slice and dip across Court it wasn't about Pace it was about beating him with with shape and angle G the set NCAA history to also won it on the women's side he won that with Georgia Tech did Brian little quick story Robbie as he don't want to get in the way of This Magnificent match but when he was a Georgia Tech he recruited she followed her brother who was playing tennis at another school instead and sometimes wonders what would happen if she went there is he okay he's all good all right he's more worried about the ball kit okay little old fist bump there [Music] [Applause] [Applause] what a second delivery [Applause] that's about as beauti sty to the fith as he could have wished for you something about you actually didn't mind serving after the sit down G pass this just enough wasn't it what the construction at that point and all started with the return of serve remember that maybe a game in the [Applause] not sure what else you want if you're a tennis fan in this incredible movement athleticism Fin and a big emphatic finger in the air after he sticks that volley away look at his girlfriend can barely watch and rally and the mom Alina and girlfriend I up oh they're living and dying with him ready for play thank you wasn't expecting this for him TFO doesn't often hit it and he went to slide afterwards let's let's take a look here this should give us an idea yeah he's okay that'll hurt your feelings more than your body for the left hander [Applause] and he in the first step of big 143 [Applause] I [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] sets to two 4 six 75 67 64 63 and the warmest of Embraces because TI has turned the tables and Sh inside off the Lash he's feeling it again and he's Pro to the last 16 all the pain from last year turned into pleasure tonight for Tio a loss to Shelton in the quarterfinals last year seemed to gut him seemed to Rob him of enthusiasm for the sport for some time oh Tears In Her Eyes