Next Gen ATP Finals Launches in Jeddah with Exciting Matches

 

 

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia- The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF got underway in fine style in Jeddah on Wednesday as King Abdullah Sports City hosted a thrilling spectacle from the tennis stars of the future.

Featuring the world’s eight best 20-and-under men’s players, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF is being held in Jeddah for the second consecutive year as part of a five-year partnership between the ATP Tour and the Saudi Tennis Federation.

The year-ending tournament is known for its unique scoring format of four-game sets and technological innovation, ensuring fast-paced matches and added drama. The opening day certainly delivered plenty of both, starting with the Red Group in the afternoon session.

In the first match, sixth seed Luca Van Assche made a triumphant return to Jeddah by defeating fourth seed Juncheng Shang 4-3 (7-3), 2-4, 4-1, 4-3 (7-5) in an entertaining contest. France’s Van Assche reached the semi-finals in Jeddah last year and he used his greater tournament experience to secure an impressive victory against his higher-ranked Chinese opponent.

Van Assche, 20, said: “I’m very happy to be back here. It was a great experience for me last year, now it’s my second time. The city is great, the facilities are beautiful, and the hotel is unbelievable.

“It was difficult match today because he’s an unbelievable player. He’s in the top 50, so I knew it was going to be a tough match, and I’m very happy with my performance. I managed to be very calm. I’ve been working a lot the last couple of weeks. I managed to be very consistent.”

Second seed Alex Michelsen soon followed Van Assche in the Red Group win column, fighting back from a set down against fellow American Nishesh Basavareddy to emerge from an enthralling battle with a 2-4, 4-3 (7-5), 4-3 (7-4), 4-2 victory.

Basavareddy is making his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF before making his ATP Tour debut, a consequence of his impressive run on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour during the final stretch of the season. The 19-year-old started brightly to suggest a surprise result could be on the cards, but Michelsen’s composure during two crucial tiebreaks swung the match in his favour.  Trailing by a break and 1-2 in the fourth set, Michelsen won three straight games to secure his first victory on his second appearance in Jeddah.

Michelsen, 20, said: “Considering I went 0-3 last year, winning this first one felt really good. It’s always a good feeling and I felt really relieved to get that one done.

“He definitely handled [his debut] better than I did last year. He was rushing me very quickly from the beginning, and I didn’t have answers. Then I found my way into a couple of breakers. I feel like I served pretty well today, so that always helps.”

The evening session got off to a spectacular start as seventh seed Learner Tien denied third seed Jakub Mensik from completing a rousing comeback by sealing a dramatic 4-3 (8-6), 4-3 (7-3), 2-4, 2-4, 4-3 (10-8) triumph in front of an increasingly lively crowd.

The 19-year-old American looked to be on course for a comfortable surprise victory over the ATP Rookie of the Year after winning the first two sets in tiebreaks, but the powerful Mensik soon found his rhythm and range to wrestle the momentum and level the match at two sets each. The 19-year-old Czech moved to within three points of a superb comeback victory when he led the fifth-set tiebreak 4-1, but Tien dug deep to level at 5-5. Both players saved match points before Tien eventually clinched the win at the third attempt, completing a memorable win in his first professional match outside of the United States.

Tien said: “A really tough match. I had the lead early and then found myself down in the fifth [set tiebreak], but really happy to get through. The crowd the whole time was great, cheering for both of us a lot. It was a great place to play with the lights and all the effects on break points and stuff like that. It was a really cool match.”

The drama continued into the final match of the day as eighth seed Joao Fonseca stunned top seed Arthur Fils 3-4 (9-11), 4-2, 4-1, 1-4, 4-1.  The 18-year-old Brazilian is the youngest player in the field and was the last to qualify, while 20-year-old Fils is the highest-ranked star in Jeddah at world No. 20. Despite being separated by 125 places in the PIF ATP Rankings, Fonseca delivered a superb display to clinch a fine victory on debut against the 2023 finalist.

Fonseca said: “It was a good match. I think in the important moments, I played better. I went to the ball and I play aggressively, like I always play. I think that was the difference today.”

On his experience of Jeddah, the Brazilian added: “The minute that I got off the plane, I’ve been treated very well. I just want to thank the federation for this, this tournament’s amazing. I hope to come more in the future.”

Day 2 will start with the Red Group in the afternoon session with Shang against Basavareddy followed by Michelsen versus Van Assche. The evening session will focus on the Blue Group, beginning with a heavyweight clash between Fils and Mensik, before Tien and Fonseca conclude the action.

The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF made history in 2023 as the first professional tennis tournament staged in Saudi Arabia and continues to be vital to the Saudi Tennis Federation’s (STF) ambitions to inspire one million into tennis by 2030.

In addition to raising awareness of tennis by hosting prestigious professional events, including the WTA Finals, the STF has launched several community initiatives across the Kingdom to encourage more people into the sport. The ‘Tennis for All’ program, in collaboration with the Saudi Sports For All Federation, has been introduced in schools and in 2023, saw 29,000 schoolchildren participate in tennis.

At elite level, Saudi Arabia has also made tremendous progress in recent years. The Kingdom hosts more than 40 tournaments annually and there are now 20 ITF-ranked Saudi players, up from just one in 2022.