Wimbledon star has the last laugh after being booed during post-match speech
Ben Shelton will have his lucky charm with him when he takes on Lorenzo Sonego in the last 16 of Wimbledon after his public plea came good. Shelton beat Martin Fucsovics on Saturday evening 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 to equal his best ever run at Wimbledon – and he has put his form down to his comfort off the court.
The American left-hander served rockets and powered his way past the world No.105 on Court One. The No.10 seed is yet to drop a set in wins over Alex Bolt, Rinky Hijikata and Fucsovics and will be the favourite when he takes on Sonego on Monday after the Italian clinched a five-set win.
Sonego battled past Brandon Nakashima in the longest match of the tournament so far, at five hours and four minutes. And if he is going to reach the quarter finals then Sonego will have to overcome Shelton and his lucky charm: his sister Emma.
Speaking to BBC interviewer Rishi Persad after beating Fucsovics, Shelton said: 'I've been playing well this week. It's not just me here, I have a great team. My parents are here, my girlfriend is here. Also, my sister is here – she's been here for every match I've played at this tournament so far, she's been a lucky charm.
'But she has work back in the US starting Monday. She works for Morgan Stanley…' The mention of the American investment bank sparked boos from the Wimbledon crowd, with the cameras catching Emma hiding her face and laughing.
After hearing boos, Shelton responded: 'Hey! Come on now! She works for Morgan Stanley, so if any of y'all have connects and can get her a couple more days off so we can keep this rolling, that'd be great!'
The 22-year-old later had some good news to share with his 1 million Instagram followers. In a clip showing his sister celebrating after getting off the phone, Shelton said with a grin: 'Yo, you got the week off, or what? Shout out Morgan Stanley.'
Shelton has been loving his time in south west London. 'I had a lot of fun,' he said. 'It's always special playing at Wimbledon. This is my third time playing on Court No 1. Hopefully I get a few more matches on one of these two big courts. I'm trying to make my way to Centre Court. Maybe I'll get there one day.'
Speaking about his team, he added: 'Yeah, it's huge, not just being on the court, but we're staying in a house. To have friends and family, people to hang out with, people my age, it's nice. We've really enjoyed it.
'Obviously [I'm] really close to my sister. So all of us have kind of, you know, been having fun this week, enjoying the off days. The match days the same.
'Yeah, it's been great. It's important to me. The tennis season's long. The times where you can get people together to come [and] travel with you or be at a tournament, especially if it's a big tournament, it's a lot of fun. I know that me and my whole family, everybody enjoys it.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Comedian Dave Hughes reveals what REALLY happened inside Mel B's chaotic wedding and says he feared the groom would be left at the altar - as fans go wild over his 'hot wife' Holly
has revealed what really went down inside Mel B 's star-studded wedding to long-time partner and hairstylist Rory McPhee. The Aussie comedian, 54, attended the lavish ceremony at London's iconic St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday, having formed a friendship with the couple while filming The Masked Singer Australia. Taking to Instagram on Monday, Dave posted a video and photos from the big day, including a glamorous selfie with Mel B and Holly, and a cheeky clip showing the couple catching the Tube to the venue. 'Holly and I had a fantastic time at Mel and Rory's wedding at St Paul's Cathedral Saturday,' he captioned the post. 'Got to know both of them on Masked Singer and was stoked to watch them tie the knot. All class day celebrating an all class couple. A great time had by all.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. But speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Hughes revealed there were a few unexpected moments inside the ceremony that didn't make it to social media. 'Mel was half an hour late,' he said. 'I was slightly concerned Rory was gonna be left at the aisle in his kilt - no undies and no bride. But she turned up!' He added, 'Mel's little dog was entrusted to bring the ring down the aisle but she got lost and had to be chased around the chapel. Funny moment!' Despite the delays, the ceremony was filled with memorable touches. 'The choir were magnificent and the vicar even used a Spice Girls line in his homily,' Dave revealed. Guests were then transported to a glamorous reception at The Shard in vintage double decker buses, where Spice Girl Emma Bunton and comedian Alan Carr mingled with family and close friends. 'There were thousands of people waiting outside the church - heaps of paparazzi. They didn't take any pics of me. Hurtful,' he joked. 'Emma Bunton is a lovely person. Alan Carr was a good laugh and loved Holly.' But it was Dave's wife Holly who ended up stealing the show online. She turned heads in an off-shoulder yellow and white floral frock teamed with a cream fascinator - and fans quickly took to the comments section to share their thoughts. 'Holly wife looking stunning as always,' one fan gushed. 'Hughesy you're punching above your weight with Beautiful Holly there! Good luck to you,' added another. 'Holly - what a bomb! Dave - looking sharp,' chimed a third. Hughes laughed off the attention, telling Daily Mail: 'Have had 23 years of 'punching above weight' comments. Take them as a compliment!' The Masked Singer star previously revealed that he almost missed the wedding invite due to filming I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in South Africa. 'When I was in the jungle, it was a month with no contact,' he said. 'The invite was sent by Mel's wedding planner not long after I entered – I only found it once I got home and checked my emails.' 'I quickly emailed back, 'Yes… we want to go to the wedding!' He added that the wedding date couldn't have been better timed: 'We'd booked this holiday in advance and the wedding was a day in between a couple of gigs I'm doing, so it's a perfectly situated wedding date.' The wedding celebrations came just days after Hughes made headlines for a fiery encounter at Wimbledon, which he recounted on his radio show. 'This English bloke behind us just would not shut up through the match,' he said. 'Eventually I said, 'Mate, can you just be quiet?' Everyone around us was happy I did it. What is it with entitled English w**kers?!' Dave and Holly married on New Year's Eve in 2006 and share three children: Rafferty, 15, Sadie, 13, and Tess, 11.
Glasgow Times
31 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Wayne Rooney set to become BBC Match of the Day pundit
The beloved BBC sports show will be very different for the upcoming season, after the departure of former host Gary Lineker last year. Lineker, who presented the show from 1999 until 2025, left following the conclusion of the 2024–25 Premier League season. Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will host Match of the Day from the start of the 2025-26 season, and a new star pundit will also feature. Wayne Rooney set to become BBC Match of the Day pundit Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is set to join the team on the BBC show as a pundit for the new season, according to reports. A source told The Sun: 'Wayne is a natural broadcaster; he is warm, witty and forensically knowledgeable about all aspects of the game. 'He still has a deep love for football and also gets on well with everyone on both sides of the camera. 'He is eminently likeable, and has impressed on his outings to date - viewers have also really taken to him, which has been clear from social media commentary. 'Wayne will be a key part of next year's World Cup coverage, which is a massive coup, and will provide some much-needed expertise on Match of the Day in the wake of Gary's departure. For Wayne Rooney, penalties were all in the practice 🎯#BBCFootball #MOTD2 — Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 10, 2025 "Everyone, including Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, is incredibly excited to get him on board. It's a great signing.' Rooney made over 550 appearances for Manchester United, and more than 100 for England. He will join a team that already includes names such as Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, and Alex Scott. Who are the new Match of the Day presenters? The BBC revealed earlier this year that Match of the Day will now be presented by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan. It came after Gary Lineker stepped down from presenting the show. It will mark the first time the role of lead presenter across both Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, and the latest addition to the BBC's football highlights portfolio, Match of the Day Champions League, will be shared by three presenters. Kelly is from Glasgow and is the daughter of former Scotland and Liverpool footballer Sir Kenny Dalglish. She is currently a Sky Sports presenter and also presents BBC Radio 5 Live's Tuesday night sports coverage. Mark is a veteran at the BBC, having first joined as a continuity announcer in 1996. Since 2013, the 51-year-old has been a regular host of Match of the Day 2, but has also hosted Sky Sports' live coverage of the Carabao Cup. He has also worked in the NFL, cricket, rugby league and golf, and fronted the BBC's coverage of the recent Olympic Games in Paris. Former gymnast Gabby Logan is the daughter of Welsh footballer Terry Yorath. Recommended reading: She first joined Sky Sports in 1996 before going to work at ITV, before leaving to present Inside Sport at the BBC, which she joined in 2007. Gabby has previously presented Match of the Day in Gary's absence on various occasions and also hosted the BBC's coverage of the Women's Euros. Many will also know her from her role as co-presenter of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
The Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Sun
Awkward moment GK Barry is forced to apologise as she swears live on air – admitting ‘I thought my mic was off'
GK Barry left viewers gobsmacked after accidentally swearing live on air during her radio show - and had to rush out a quick apology, confessing, 'I thought my mic was off!' The comedy star, known for her sharp wit and no-nonsense humour, clearly didn't expect her slip-up to go straight to millions of ears. 4 4 GK Barry went from viral sensation to a broadcasting star - after landing herself the coveted big Radio 1 job. Hosting BBC Radio 1's weekend afternoon show throughout July, she will be on air from 1pm to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday. But, the newbie slipped up big time, dropping a swear word live on air on Sunday, while presenting alongside Melvin Odoom. She apologised as soon as the song was over saying: "Guys, I am so sorry if you heard me swear. I thought my mic was off. "I'm so sorry. Let's keep this a peaceful Sunday and move on." GK Barry addressed her mistake on her TikTok page explaining: "I was introducing a band and went f***ed it!" "And everyone in the studio was like 'No!' and they had to call HR and say 'Grace has sworn.'" "And I had to apologise and I wasn't allowed to laugh during the apology, because it's very serious. "And I'm really really sorry for swearing on national radio. I'm really embarrassed, I'm not going to sleep tonight, because it's going to come back to haunt me." She then turned to her partner, Ella Rutherford, and asked: "Did you find it sexy though?" GK Barry reveals reason I'm A Celeb cast no longer speak seven months after the show - and Maura and Danny's drunken Brits kiss Ella replied: "Yeah. If anyone is going to do it, it's going to be you." GK Barry joked: "That's all that matters then," before addressing Radio 1 and adding: "Sorry to everyone at Radio 1 that was listening today. "But at the end of the day, it is live, and if you do have me on live radio there is a chance of that. "I'm really sorry I thought the mic was down and I won't do it again Radio 1. Please don't sack me." Who is GK Barry? GK Barry amassed more than a million followers on TikTok in just over a year during the first UK lockdown in 2020. Grace Keeling, better known as GK Barry, is a 25-year-old social media influencer. She rose to fame during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, creating a TikTok account and posting short vlogs showcasing her day-to-day life. Although she originally intended on staying low-key, she gained a large following in no time at all. By August 2020, only five months after starting her account, she had already hit 100,000 followers, reaching more than a million in just over a year. She now has over 4.5million followers across her social media platforms. After completing a degree in film studies from Nottingham Trent University, Grace furthered her education with a master's in digital marketing. While at Nottingham Trent, she worked on the set of BBC series Doctors and the Netflix film Hood, as well as creating content for ShawMind — a charity working to promote mental health awareness. Grace is known for her podcast, named The Saving Grace Podcast. On the show she invites celebrities and influencers to have a chat about life and the latest trends, as well as any embarrassing stories from their past. In May 2024, Grace said she was dating a female footballer. Then in June it came out that the soccer star in question plays for England. The Sun revealed that Grace and Charlton Athletic striker Ella Rutherford, 24, are getting serious — they've met each other's family and holidayed together. A source exclusively told The Sun: "GK has been seeing Ella for a while but they are very much official now. "They grew even closer on holiday in Benidorm and GK has met all her family. "She's really happy and they are having so much fun together." Fans were quick to flood social media, with many having a good laugh at the unexpected blooper. Taking to the comment section on TikTok, one wrote: "I heard it it was hilarious." Another added: "Kinda iconic of u." A third penned: "I heard that live and just laughed and rolled my eyes thinking that's such a Grace thing to do." A fourth said: "Hahahaha I was in the car with my kids listening!" Despite the cringe moment, GK quickly recovered and kept the show on track. With a prime slot on one of the UK's biggest stations, GK's brings her signature blend of humour and honesty to millions every week. Not only is GK Barry taking the reins solo, but she'll also be joined by a line-up of rotating guest co-hosts to keep things fresh and buzzing. The comedy star couldn't hide her excitement about fronting her own show - saying it's a whole different ball game from her usual podcasting gigs. This comes after GK Barry revealed the I'm A Celeb cast no longer speak after Maura and Danny's drunken kiss. Speaking on The Katie Price podcast, GK told the former glamour model how the group has disintegrated. She admitted: 'We had a group chat. It has died down slightly as you can imagine, it's died down." She added: 'But I still keep in contact with the Rev (Richard Coles) - and Dean (McCullough) I still keep in contact with a little bit, but mainly the Rev and Melvin (Odoom)." The internet personality entered the I'm A Celeb Jungle last year and quickly became a fan favourite and ended up placing fifth. Following her TV stint she went on to make multiple appearances on daytime TV show Loose Women. Meanwhile, McFly star Danny 's marriage to his wife Georgia has been rocked since appearing on the show. Singer Danny, 39, has been trying to move on from the fall out from his "drunken kiss" with Maura Higgins, 34, at the Brit Awards. Wife and podcaster Georgia - who briefly moved out of the family home following the kiss scandal - was reportedly "furious" at the way the Star Girl singer had handled the aftermath of the scandal. A few of the campmates are set to be working together soon, which could make things very awkward for Maura and Danny. 4 4
