NextGen ATP Finals: Focus on Basavareddy as young stars set for battles royale

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Dec 17 (IANS): One of the last to qualify for the event, the focus will be on Indian-American player Nishesh Basavareddy when eight of the top 20-and-under players will get into the action in the NextGen ATP Finals tennis tournament starting here on Wednesday.

Basavareddy is one of the three Americans alongside Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien and made it to the 20-and-under event with a stunning end to the year. The 19-year-old began the 2024 season as World No. 457 in the ATP Rankings but ended it at a career-high No. 138 in December.

The American, who finished his season on a high by winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles and also reaching the finals of three events at that level since the end of September, will be opening his campaign against second-seeded compatriot Alex Michelsen in the second match on the opening day on Wednesday.

Basavareddy and Michelsen are placed in Group Red along with China's Shang Juncheng and Luca Van Assche of France in the four-player group from which the top two will qualify for the knockout semifinals.

The Blue Group comprises top-seed Arthur Fils of France, Jakub Mensik of Czechia, Learner Tien of America, and Joao Fonseca of Brazil.

China's Shang will start the NextGen ATP Finals against Van Assche in the tournament lung-opener with Basavareddy scheduled to take on Michelsen in the second match of the afternoon session.

Mensik will play Tien in a Blue Group clash in the first match of the evening followed by Fils taking on Fonseca in the late match on the first day. The final will be played on Sunday (December 22).

Fils, a three-time ATP Tour titlist, is the top seed and leads Blue Group. The 20-year-old Frenchman is ranked 20 in the ATP Rankings and comes into the tournament as the strong favourite and with a much higher ranking than Blue group rivals Mensik (48), Tien (122), and Fonseca (145). But Fils is expected to face a tough time in his group. He suffered a 6-0, 6-4 defeat to Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year.

Mensik has one of the most explosive and dangerous games of any player at the tournament, having earned four Top 10 wins in 2024 and Tien comes in with hot form, winning three Challenger Tour titles this season.

Michelsen (41) and Shang (50) both sit inside the Top 50 in the ATP Rankings. They have never faced off but will fancy their chances of advancing to the semifinals, ranked more than 70 places above Van Assche and Basavareddy. Shang won his maiden ATP Tour title in Chengdu in September, while Michelsen reached finals in Newport and Winston-Salem in 2024.

Van Assche, currently No. 128 in the ATP Rankings, reached the third round at the Australian Open in January 2024. World No. 138 Basavareddy has lifted two ATP Challenger Tour trophies since October and turned pro early in December.

The 19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy will make his Grand Slam debut when he competes at next month's Australian Open. The young American conquered the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Challenge following three notable Challenger results.

The young American from Newport Beach, California had travelled to Turin a year ago, practicing with the world's best players and gathering experience. Basavareddy is the Stanford University star, finishing 12th in the ITA singles ranking this May and earning the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year award.

Basavareddy, who is coached by Bryan Smith who has also coached American doubles star Rajeev Ram, will now be looking forward to doing his best in the NextGen ATP Finals and further improving his ranking with a stunning run at the Australian Open.