By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday August 7, 2024
Alexander Bublik pulled off a remarkable trick shot on match point against Ben Shelton in Toronto. It didn't count, but it did amaze.
Photo Source: TTV
Ben Shelton and Alexander Bublik have developed some chemistry as double partners this week. Their magic was evident even in singles, as they clashed today for the third time, and the first time on a hard court.
It was Shelton who broke his winless streak against the Kazakhstani, but not before Bublik stole the show with a random trick shot on match point that instantly went viral on social media.
Watch as Bublik, out of options, tosses his racquet under the ball, which ends up flying up over the net for a perfect winner.
Unfortunately for Bublik, his bit of magic was illegal in more ways than one. Not only did his racquet hit the net, players are also not allowed to toss their racquet at a ball – they instantly lose the point.
Still, the remarkable shot won Shelton’s admiration and made for a great moment at the net between the two friends. Shelton was the better player on Wednesday as he earned his 27th win of the season and set a second-round match with Australia’s Alexei Popyrin.
The 11th-seeded American southpaw already has more wins this season (27-17) than he had all of last season (26), as he continues his rise up the rankings.
Later in the day, Shelton and Bublik lost their second-round doubles match to Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper, 7-6(2), 6-1.
It was a good day for Americans in Toronto, as 10th-seeded Tommy Paul (d. Darderi) and 9th-seeded Taylor Fritz (d. Navone) also went through, along with Sebastian Korda, last week’s DC champion, who advanced when Vasek Pospisil retired due to injury after just three games.
American qualifier Brandon Nakashima also advanced. The San Diego native, ranked 52, defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 7-5 for his first win at the Canadian Masters.
Canada didn’t bring a single man into the second round, as Felix Auger-Aliassime fell to Flavio Cobolli, 6-3, 6-3. Canadian men went 0-4 in the first round, while Australian men, surprisingly, went 5-0.
All sixteen second-round matches will be played on Thursday in Toronto, as top-seeded Jannik Sinner, second-seeded Alexander Zverev and third-seeded Daniil Medvedev will all be in action in the day session.
Fritz will face Korda in the night session, while Paul and Nakashima will meet in the day on Court 5.