Playing tennis on the clay can be tough! It can be slippery and muddy and can put up a strong challenge for players to win a match this summer on the clay. While the American clay run was going on, Frances Tiafoe faced problems with the clay court, but at the same time, he found help then and there, as the hidden stars of the event stood by him.
Recently, as the American tennis player reached the final round of the ATP tournament, during his semi-final clash against Luciano Darderi, there were moments when he slipped while he was giving his 100 percent on the court. But don’t worry when the ball kids are around.
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A video of him falling badly on the court was recently posted by the ATP Tour, in which, for the 26-year-old, his heroes of the matches were none other than the ball kids who helped him get up when he was struggling to be up again. It is not a one-time incident; it happened twice during the semi-final round; however, the American was able to get through the match with the help of the heroes he had standing on the sidelines of the court.
Apparently, while Tiafoe was trying to run behind the ball, he went and faced a nasty fall in such a way that his whole body was covered in clay, but he didn’t give up and took a moment to get over it and show his athletic spirit in respect to the game, the crowd, and even his opponent.
In addition, it was an awesome moment of sportsmanship when, even after having a slippery clay court, the ball boy came forward to give a hand to the player so that he could stand again and continue the game to its victory. After that, both of them also shared a sweet moment, as they were seen shaking hands with each other.
Not only that but with this, the former 10th-ranked tennis player became the first defending champion to reach the Houston final since Steve Johnson in 2018. Moreover, after getting through a thriller victory, Tiafoe shed light on his performance and his ATP Houston opponent, Ben Shelton.
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Tiafoe reflects on his semi-final performance
After the match, in a conversation, he opened up about how, even after facing so many problems during the match, he somehow was happy with the way he performed. He stated, “Great performance from me today,” despite all the falls he got in between the match. On the other hand, he also talked about facing the 21-year-old American in the final round of the tournament.
Further, he added, “He’s got one of the best serves on the Tour. He’s a great player. It’s going to be a tough match and I’m ready for a good battle.” Moreover, it will be interesting to see what the outcome of the American Houston finals will be.
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Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on ball kids helping Tiafoe? Do let us know in the comment section below.