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Ben Shelton recently praised Alexander Zverev for his dominant performance at the BMW Open in Munich. The American ATP star, despite the disappointment, extended his warm wishes for Zverev on his 28th birthday. Jokingly mentioning his short height as a negative, he congratulated his rival on the well-deserved victory that came on Easter Day.
Zverev defeated Shelton in the Munich Open final to secure his third home title. The top-seeded player showcased absolute dominance with his commendable serve to clinch the one-sided 6-2, 6-4 win. The victory helped Zverev earn his first title of the year and 24th in his overall career.
Although Ben Shelton was disappointed by the setback, he lightened the mood with a hilarious remark. The 22-year-old wished Zverev a happy birthday, jokingly stating that he was unaware that it was his birthday.
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"First I want to thank God. I feel blessed to play in front of you guys on Easter Sunday. It’s really special for me. I want to congratulate Sascha. Home tournament. Big to get a win here. It’s your birthday too. I didn’t know that. Happy Birthday. I would’ve said like, this is a birthday gift, but I had no clue," he said in a post-match interview.
The young American also praised his opponent for the impressive serving numbers. He admitted that despite several attempts, there was no chance for him to turn the game in his favor.
"I was trying as hard as I could to return those serves today, but I couldn’t get it done. Congrats to you and your team. You guys are doing great work and playing really well. Good luck for the rest of the clay swing," Shelton added.
This victory marked a turning point for Zverev by helping him regain his form after a turbulent season. The German faced significant setbacks lately, including early-round exits at both Indian Wells and Monte Carlo.
Alexander Zverev approves Ben Shelton's hilarious regard for his 28th birthday
Alexander Zverev was quick enough to admit the special feeling this victory brought along. The German ATP star expressed sheer excitement after winning his first title of the year. Regarding it as a great feeling, he also echoed Ben Shelton's statement of holding the trophy as the best birthday gift.
“It’s extremely special, I always love winning tournaments in Germany. It’s probably the most special thing I can do. It’s definitely a great birthday present, let’s put it that way," Zverev said in a post-match on-court interview.
He also applauded Ben Shelton's competitive levels, mentioning how the conditions aligned with his playing style.
“Ben has been playing extremely well this week. The conditions suit him extremely well, it’s very hot and very fast. They suit me as well, to be fair. I enjoyed my birthday so far," he added.
This victory marked Alexander Zverev's third title at his home event, after his consecutive titles in 2017-18. With his renewed form on clay, the 28-year-old now stands on a 5-match win streak.
