The best seats in the house put fans up close to the action on the ATP Tour. On Thursday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, a front-row spectator saw just how close that can be when a Ben Shelton ace made its way into the stands.
As he served out the opening set of his 6-3, 6-2 victory against Gabriel Diallo, the home favourite sliced an ace down the T, which curved and appeared to nick the spectator's leg.
Shelton immediately grimaced and checked with the fan, who said she was fine. "My bad," he said, apologising.
Adding to the intrigue, chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote warned fans about incoming balls seconds before Shelton stepped to the line to serve out the set: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you are sitting in the first row, when the players are serving please pay attention. The ball is coming really fast," he said.
Shelton, who has yet to face a break point in Washington, will next take on local hero Frances Tiafoe, who hails from the D.C. area, on Friday. The opponents are within three places of one another in the PIF ATP Rankings, with Shelton at World No. 8 and Tiafoe at No. 11.
