LAVER CUP

September 21, 2024

Ben Shelton

Alejandro Tabilo

Team World

Press Conference

SHELTON-TABILO/Ruud-Tsitsipas

6-1, 6-2

Team Europe - 4

Team World - 8

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Alejandro and Ben. Congratulations on a strong showing and a quick match to make it 8 to 4, increasing the lead for Team World tonight.

Just give us your recap of the match, please.

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, well, first of all, I thought we did a great job serving. Our serve was only really in danger one time. Alejandro did a great job getting out of that game with some clutch serves, big forehands, played great in the big moments. I thought that was kind of the name of the game today.

We came up big when we needed to on breakpoints and converted in the big moments. Had a lot of fun playing with this guy. Hopefully we get to play again somewhere else later this year.

ALEJANDRO TABILO: Yeah, the same as Ben. I think we served really well, put a lot of pressure there, and I think the returns were also very good today.

Also, I think we got a little bit more second-serve looks. We put a lot of pressure, played aggressive, and I think that was the key.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Obviously you don't know each other very well, so were you surprised by how well you played and the decisive score?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I think surprised by the decisive score, but as soon as I saw the way that he was returning today, cash (smiling), I was pretty confident from then on out. To have somebody swinging at it like that on the ad side, which I don't understand, because I'm a terrible ad side returner in doubles, and I think it's tough for a lefty who is playing the ad, but he did it beautifully today.

Yeah, I thought one of the things we did best is we just had a constant state of energy for the whole match. I think doubles, a lot of doubles depends on, you know, the energy of the team and how you guys work together.

Q. Alejandro, I have one question for you not connected with today's match, but you moved from Canada to Chile pretty late. You learned your first steps in Canada, but you were just earlier than Shapovalov and Aliassime and those guys. Were you practicing in the same -- let's hear a bit of your story.

ALEJANDRO TABILO: Yeah, I was born in Toronto. I was more with Denis. With Felix, he was in Quebec, so I didn't see him much. But yeah, I competed a lot with Denis. We knew each other I think since we were five, six years old.

But yeah, I didn't stay in Canada for too long. I moved to the States and I was there until, like, my 20s, around there. Yeah, I actually almost went to UF also, so we were almost teammates.

BEN SHELTON: Almost.

ALEJANDRO TABILO: Then, yeah, I was mainly in the States.