China’s Shang Juncheng Faces Second Straight Defeat at Next Gen ATP Finals
In a challenging turn of events at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, China’s rising tennis star Shang Juncheng suffered his second consecutive loss. The 19-year-old was defeated by American Nishesh Basavareddy with a score of 3-4(4), 4-2, 4-2, 4-1 on Thursday.
Shang, who made his debut in the tournament earlier this week, had already faced a tough match in the first round of the Red Group, falling 3-1 to France’s Luca Van Assche. Despite a promising start against Basavareddy—securing the first set 4-3 in a tense tie-break—the young player from the Chinese mainland could not maintain his momentum.
Basavareddy, ranked World No. 138, rallied after the initial setback. He claimed the second set 4-2, leveraging powerful serves and strategic play. Continuing his strong performance, he took the third set with the same score and confidently sealed his victory in the fourth set, winning 4-1. This match marked Basavareddy’s first career win on the ATP Tour, a significant milestone for the seventh seed.
With a current group record of 1-1, Basavareddy will compete against sixth seed Luca Van Assche on Friday, aiming to secure a place in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Shang faces a critical match against another American, Alex Michelsen. Michelsen has already confirmed his spot in the last four with an impressive 2-0 record in the Red Group. Shang will need to harness all his skills and resilience to keep his hopes alive in the tournament.
As the competition intensifies, fans and analysts are keenly watching these young talents who represent the future of tennis. Shang’s journey, despite recent setbacks, continues to inspire many in the Asian tennis community and beyond.
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China's Shang suffers 2nd consecutive defeat at Next Gen ATP Finals
cgtn.com