Arthur Fils seeks revenge against Joao Fonseca on Day 1 of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF | ATP Tour

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Day 1 in Jeddah: Fils seeks revenge against Fonseca

Mensik mide a Tien, Shang debuta ante Van Assche

December 17, 2024

The Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF begins this Wednesday with eight of the best U-21 tennis players in the world in action from Jeddah.

The top seed and current runner-up Arthur Fils, present in the night session of the Blue Group, will debut against the debutant Joao Fonseca. The Frenchman will seek to overcome the current 0-1 that appears in the Lexus ATP Head2Head history between the two. Their duel will take place after the match between third seed Jakub Mensik and American Learner Tien.

The afternoon session of the Red Group will pit second seed Alex Michelsen against his compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy, as well as an unprecedented duel between fourth seed Shang Juncheng and current semi-finalist Luca van Assche.

[1] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [8] Joao Fonseca (BRA) [NB 8 p.m.]
After rising to a career-high No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings this year, Fils arrives as a strong favorite to improve his finalist status in Jeddah in 2023. However, the top seed will need maximum concentration to face the competition.

Despite being the youngest and lowest-ranked participant in the tournament, Fonseca is the only player with a positive Lexus ATP Head2Head balance against Fils, whom he defeated to record his first ATP Tour victory this year on the way to the quarterfinals in Rio of Janeiro. Fonseca will try to regain that form to sign a first surprise in Jeddah.

Arthur Fils” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/12/31/fils-preview-jeddah-day-1.jpg?w=100%25″ style=”; width: 100%;”>_{^{Arthur Fils is the top seed in Jeddah for the second year in a row. Photography: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}}

[3] Jakub Mensik (CZE) vs [5] Learner Tien (USA) [NB 7 p.m.]
After adding four Top 10 victories and winning the ATP Breakthrough of the Year Award in 2024, Mensik has cemented his status as one of the biggest emerging talents on the circuit. The third seed will face Tien, also a debutant in Jeddah with three ATP Challenger Tour titles and a record of 31-9 throughout the season.

Known for his defensive ability and tactical style, Tien will look to emulate the 28-match winning streak he signed this year. It will be a tough task against Mensik, one of the most formidable punchers in the tournament.

[4] Shang Juncheng (CHN) vs. [6] Luca van Assche (FRA) [2 p.m.]
The current semi-finalist Van Assche will try to take advantage of that experience to make his debut against Shang, present for the first time in the Jeddah tournament. Although the accumulated experiences can be an important value, Shang’s form throughout 2024 cannot be ignored.

The world No. 50, more than 70 positions above Van Assche (128) in the PIF ATP Rankings, became the second Chinese player to lift a title in ATP Tour history with his victory in Chengdu.

_{^{Shang Juncheng during a training session in Jeddah on Wednesday. Photograph: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}}

[2] Alex Michelsen (USA) vs [7] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA) [NB 3 p.m.]

Michelsen and Basavareddy will complete a cycle when they take to the track in Jeddah this Wednesday. Having competed together in the junior category, both Americans, already among the best U-21 tennis players in the world, will seek their first victory in a tournament of enormous prestige.

Although Michelsen broke into the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings with strong ATP Tour performances in 2024, including finals in Newport and Winston-Salem, Basavareddy has won two Challenger Tour titles since October. With the aim of adding his first victory in Jeddah after the 0-3 achieved in the group stage last year, Michelsen will try to take advantage of the experience to leave his mark against his compatriot.

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2024
AFTERNOON SESSION

From 2:00 p.m.
[4] Shang Juncheng (CHN) vs. [6] Luca van Assche (FRA)

Not Before 3:00 pm
[2] Alex Michelsen (USA) vs Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)

NIGHT SESSION

Not Before 7:00 pm
[3] Jakub Mensik (CZE) vs [5] Learner Tien (USA)
[1] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [8] Joao Fonseca (BRA)