"I didn't manage to show Ben Shelton much" - Arthur Fils discusses his relationship with American as he reflects on lost chance in Antwerp

Arthur Fils recently talked about his relationship with fellow tennis player Ben Shelton, who won his first ATP title in Japan last week.

Fils, who reached his second ATP final in Antwerp, was defeated by third seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. The 19-year-old had a brilliant run in the tournament, beating top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals and eighth-seed Juan Pablo Varillas in the quarterfinals.

In a post-match press conference, Fils was asked about his relationship with Shelton and how he felt about the American's recent achievements.

“Ben [Shelton] is a really good friend. I saw his first title, it’s great. Well, today, I didn’t manage to show him much. I saw that he is still in the race for the Masters, I wish him to get there,” Fils said.

Fils and Shelton have met once on the tour — at the 2023 Laver Cup, where the latter prevailed in straight sets, 7-6(4), 6-1.

The two players recently had a playful exchange after their respective semifinal wins. Fils had copied Shelton’s message "humble and hungry" on the camera lens after beating Tsitsipas, to which Shelton responded by writing "Show me something Arthur" after winning the Japan Open on Sunday.

Arthur Fils will now head to the 2023 Vienna Open, where he will face top seed Daniil Medvedev in the first round on Tuesday, October 24.

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Ben Shelton to face Jannik Sinner in 2023 Vienna Open 1R

Ben Shelton at the 2023 Japan Open

Ben Shelton will face second seed Jannik Sinner in the first-round match at the 2023 Vienna Open on Tuesday, October 24.

Shelton, 21, won his first ATP title at the Japan Open last week, defeating Aslan Karatsev in straight-set, 7-5, 6-1, in the final. He also reached the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters earlier this month, where he lost to Sebastian Korda in three sets, 7-6(10), 2-6, 6-7(6).

Sinner, 22, is one of the most consistent performers on the tour and has reached 12 quarterfinals in the 19 tournaments he has played this year. He has won three titles this season so far (Montpelier, Toronto, and Beijing) and also made the finals in Miami and Rotterdam.

This will be the second meeting between Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner, with the former winning their previous encounter at the 2023 Shanghai Masters in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5). The winner of this match will face either Mackenzie McDonald or Francisco Cerundolo in the second round.