I almost killed myself trying to return your serve," when Shelton praised Mpetshi Perricard in Basel

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard had a perfect week last year at the ATP 500 in Basel. After defeating Ben Shelton in the final, the American was very complimentary toward his opponent of the day.

During the trophy ceremony, he stated: "I want to congratulate 'Gio' for his great week, a great match today. I almost killed myself trying to return your serve.

So many aspects of your game have improved so much. You're a fantastic young talent and so good for the sport. It's cool to have different styles on the tour. Going from world No. 200 to No. 30 in 10 months is something you can be very proud of.