Shang Juncheng's journey at the Next Gen ATP Finals began with high hopes and strong performances. The 19-year-old from the Chinese mainland made his debut in the prestigious tournament held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In his first match, Shang faced France's Luca Van Assche, where he battled hard but ultimately fell 3-1, marking his first setback.
Undeterred, Shang stepped onto the court against American Nishesh Basavareddy in his second round. The match was intense from the start, with Shang clinching the first set in a tiebreak 4-3. However, Basavareddy rallied back, dominating the next three sets with scores of 4-2, 4-2, and 4-1. This defeat marked Shang's second consecutive loss at the tournament.
Nishesh Basavareddy's victory was a significant milestone, securing his first career ATP Tour win as the seventh seed. With a current record of 1-1 in the Red Group, Basavareddy aims to advance to the semi-finals by facing the sixth seed, Luca Van Assche, on Friday.
As for Shang, he remains a formidable competitor and is set to take on another American, Alex Michelsen, who has already secured a semi-final spot with a 2-0 record in the Red Group. Fans and followers will be keen to see if Shang can turn his fortunes around in the upcoming match.
Reference(s):
China's Shang suffers 2nd consecutive defeat at Next Gen ATP Finals
cgtn.com
