Ben Shelton stuns Frances Tiafoe with cheeky winner during Ultimate Tennis Showdown in Los Angeles

Ben Shelton pulled off a miraculous shot against Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling rally that left both players in stitches at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in Los Angeles on Friday (July 21). The American underdog showed his reflexes and creativity to win a point that seemed impossible.

The rally took place in the first quarter of the match when Tiafoe, nicknamed 'Big Foe', hit a lucky net cord that gave him an easy smash. Shelton, known as 'The Mountain', somehow managed to get his racquet behind his back and lob the ball over Tiafoe’s head.

The World No. 10 then sprinted to the net and slammed the ball into the open court, only to see Shelton squat down and flick a defensive volley past him. The crowd erupted in applause and laughter, as Shelton ran to the other side of the net to celebrate with Tiafoe, who could not believe what he had just witnessed.

The clip from the match was shared by the UTS official account on Twitter on Friday, July 21, with the caption:

“This can’t be real. A MIRACLE FROM THE MOUNTAIN at #UTS. We are not worthy, @BenShelton.”

The match itself was a close affair, with Tiafoe eventually prevailing 2-1 (7-13, 15-8, 15-13, 10-16) over Shelton, who was making his UTS debut. The UTS Los Angeles is a fast-paced and innovative tennis event that features eight players competing in two groups over three days.

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A look back at Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon 2023 run

Frances Tiafoe in Wimbledon 2023

Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton were two of the most promising American players at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. However, they both fell short of their expectations, losing in the third round and the second round, respectively.

Tiafoe, who had won his first grass title in Stuttgart last month, could not recreate his form at the All England Club, losing to Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the third round.

The 10th seed had defeated Yibing Wu and Dominic Stricker in the previous rounds, but he was outplayed by the 21st seed Dimitrov, who eventually lost to Holger Rune in the fourth round.

On the other hand, Shelton failed to make an impact on grass, losing to Laslo Djere in four sets in the second round. The 20-year-old had upset Taro Daniel in the first round. However, he could not overcome the Serbian Djere, who later reached the third round for the first time before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Despite their early exits, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton showed some glimpses of their potential at Wimbledon. The two will be hoping to bounce back in the hard-court season.