The Great Wall Wu deprives UTS Los Angeles of all American final, defeats Shelton in Final 4

Yibing Wu has defeated Ben Shelton 3-1 in their Final 4 match, will meet Taylor Fritz in the UTS Los Angeles final

Yibing Wu at UTS (UTS) – (c) Thierry Breton / Panoramic

July 24, 2023

Yibing “The Great Wall” Wu has continued his hot form at UTS Los Angeles, dispatching crowd favourite Ben “The Mountain” Shelton 3-1 in their Final 4 match.

The Chinese player will now move through to the final of UTS Los Angeles against Taylor “The Hotshot” Fritz, to be played on Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps it was Wu’s self-control that won him the match, revealing between quarters that he’d received a late-night invite from Shelton that was turned down ahead of their Final 4 match:

“He did text me to go out, but I chose to sleep,” The Great Wall shared with commentators.

Have you ever seen a 360° spin forehand? Wu Yibing did it! 😱⚡#utstour #uts #tennis pic.twitter.com/N0rUftoOPV
— UTS 🎾 – LA (21-23 July), Frankfurt (15-17 Sept) (@UTShowdown) July 24, 2023

“I was just having fun, but at the same time, trying to win the match.”

While the trash talk flowed thick and fast despite the high stakes of the match, it was Wu who played the better tennis, clinically dispatching Shelton 3-1. His secret? Simple: “I was just having fun, but at the same time, trying to win the match.”

Is he "The Great Wall" or Rocky Balboa? 🤣🥊#utstour #uts #tennis pic.twitter.com/WA2TVfTf20
— UTS 🎾 – LA (21-23 July), Frankfurt (15-17 Sept) (@UTShowdown) July 24, 2023

It’s safe to say that The Great Wall will have won himself some fans this weekend, even though he’s been knocking Americans out of the tournament. Yet again, Wu was a picture of expression on the court, playing ninja with balls that soared passed the baseline, throwing air-punches at Shelton and engaging the crowd beautifully.

“This format feels a little more normal,” declared LA Chargers’ coach Brandon Staley in a commentary box cameo, shortly before Wu was struck in the foot by a Shelton serve while standing on the service box line to return.

Next up, The Great Wall plays home favourite Taylor Fritz in the UTS Los Angeles final, a match that couldn’t feature a greater contrast of on-court personas.

The last survivors 💪

Yibing Wu to face Taylor Fritz in UTS Los Angeles final #UTSTour pic.twitter.com/dg2phxxUlE
— UTS 🎾 – LA (21-23 July), Frankfurt (15-17 Sept) (@UTShowdown) July 24, 2023