Laver Cup 2023: Ben Shelton beats Arthur Fils, hails 'unmatched' John McEnroe as Team World complete clean sweep
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Updated 23/09/2023 at 06:52 GMT
The Laver Cup 2023 is finally under way in Vancouver, Canada, as Team World look to defend their crown. John McEnroe's side got off to a perfect start on Friday as they won all four matches against Team Europe. Ben Shelton paid tribute to his captain after a straight-sets victory over Arthur Fils. Stream and watch the 2023 Laver Cup exclusively live across Europe on Eurosport and discovery+.
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Team World’s Ben Shelton paid tribute to his captain John McEnroe after getting the Laver Cup up and running with a straight-sets victory over Team Europe’s Arthur Fils.
Francisco Cerundolo, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe later added wins against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Gael Monfils, and Fils and Andrey Rublev respectively to give Team World a dominant opening to the event.
The 2023 edition of the competition began on Friday in Vancouver with Team World seeking to retain the trophy after beating Team Europe 13-8 in London last year, which secured their first victory at the fifth attempt.
McEnroe’s team earned the first point in comfortable fashion, as Shelton - with Roger Federer watching on - recorded a 7-6(4) 6-1 win over fellow debutant Fils.
Fils allowed a 4-1 lead in the tie-breaker slip through his grasp as Shelton won six straight points to take the first set. He celebrated with his captain, shouting "come on, Johnny!" towards his compatriot.
When a fired-up Shelton then finally got the break in the second set, there was no way back for the French No. 3, who allowed too many unforced errors to creep in.
It was a baptism of fire for the 19-year-old Fils, who is the youngest male player in the top 100 on tour. He was a late replacement for Stefanos Tsitsipas following the Greek's injury withdrawal.
"Really happy to see a red stadium right now," said a delighted Shelton, who was making his first appearance since losing to Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-final.
"Yeah, I think the crowd really got me going in Canada. I know it's not the US but thanks for the World support," the American continued.
"I really wanted to be able to set the tone with my energy for Team World today and I think it went pretty well, so I'm excited to get on the bench and cheer on these guys for the rest of the day."
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Captain John McEnroe of Team World reacts during a match between Ben Shelton of Team World and Arthur Fils of Team Europe during day one of the Laver Cup at Rogers Arena on September 22, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Image credit: Getty Images
Shelton, the world. No 19, was keen to pay tribute to seven-time Grand Slam winner McEnroe. Asked how it feels to be working with the tennis legend, the 20-year-old said: "Yeah it’s been amazing. Just a few key pieces of advice that I’ve picked up on over the last few days.
"It’s been great to be around him, and his energy is unmatched, you know. Having him as a captain in a team event is amazing. He definitely matches my energy out here on the court and I’m happy to be playing for him and Team World."
In the second clash, Francisco Cerundolo doubled Team World’s advantage with a 6-3 7-5 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Cerundolo, 25, is the only non-American on McEnroe’s roster, and the Argentine justified his place on the team with a strong early showing against Davidovich Fokina, who was a late replacement for Holger Rune.
Felix Auger-Aliassime made it three from three for Team World in the final singles match of the day as he dispatched Gael Monfils 6-4 6-3.
The Canadian made light work of Monfils, dominating behind his first serve, and securing a single break in each set to deepen Europe's woes.
In the closing doubles encounter, the American pairing of Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe made it a clean sweep, edging a tight battle against Fils and Andrey Rublev in a last-set tie-break.
Paul and Tiafoe made it seven straight sets for the hosts before Fils and Rublev sent the contest into a tie-break, which the Americans won 10-6.
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