Fils and Mensik seek to regain lost ground in Jeddah | ATP Tour

Next Gen ATP Finals

Fils and Mensik seek to regain lost ground in Jeddah

Everything you need to know about the second day of the tournament

December 18, 2024

A first duel between Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik, two of the most notable #NextGenATP of 2024, was highly anticipated. And this one will arrive on Thursday, but with a lot of extra pressure at stake. After each suffered a defeat on the first day of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, the two will look to improve their position in the Blue Group.

Fifth seed Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca will close out the afternoon session in what will be a rematch of last year’s US Open junior championship match. China’s Shang Juncheng and American Nishesh Basavareddy begin the second day of action with Luca Van Assche and Alex Michelsen next battling it out for the top of the Red Group.

[1] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [3] Jakub Mensik (CZE)
Fils and Mensik are among the game’s heavyweights, which promises an exciting showdown. Fans can expect a high-quality clash full of magnificent shots, but also a chess match to see who can dictate the game first.

Last year’s finalist Fils is hoping to go one step further this week and get his hands on the trophy, which would be his third tour-level title in 2024. Fils won the ATP 500 in Hamburg and Tokyo. Mensik, named breakout of the year at the ATP Awards, will be eager to bounce back from a narrow five-set loss to Tien on Wednesday. The Czech has won three of his last five matches against Top 20 players and will look to build on that streak against world No. 20 Fils.

[5] Learner Tien (EE.UU.) vs [8] Joao Fonseca (BRA)
It will be like fire and ice when Tien and Fonseca take the court to face each other. The left-handed Tien possesses a consistency that can wear down any opponent, inciting him into a frustrating error-fest. Fonseca, 18, the youngest player in this season’s tournament, has an explosive energy and brutal aggression that was evident in his debut in Jeddah, a five-set victory against Fils on Wednesday.

Fonseca defeated Tien last year at the US Open, securing a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory to lift the juniors crown. While that was a match with a trophy at stake, Thursday’s clash will determine who has sole possession at the top of the Blue Group.

[2] Alex Michelsen (EE. UU.) vs [6] Luca Van Assche (FRA)
After Michelsen took his first win in the under-20 event on Wednesday, he will now look to avenge last year’s defeat in Jeddah to Van Assche. The Frenchman escaped in five sets, four of which went to a tie-break. Last year’s match saw 20 break points in total, highlighting that both players will be keen to protect their serve.

Michelsen and Van Assche are two of the three players who are playing for Jeddah for the second consecutive time, along with Fils. The American is ranked No. 41 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the best of his career, after a standout season in which he reached two tour-level finals. Van Assche’s season was highlighted by his participation in the third round of the Australian Open.

[4] Shang Juncheng (CHN) vs. [7] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)
The 19-year-olds are looking to bounce back after each suffering a four-set loss on opening day. While Shang is the first player to represent China at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, Basavareddy is the third American to compete this year and fourth overall. Shang, world number 50, became the second Chinese player to triumph on the ATP Tour with his title in Chengdu in September.

Basavareddy began this season ranked 457th in the world before making waves on the ATP Challenger Tour. The American, now number 138 in the rankings, won two Challenger titles and reached four additional finals at that level. He compiled a record of 41-13, becoming the third American in Challengers history (since 1978) to earn more than 40 wins in a single season. Thursday will be the first confrontation between Basavareddy and Shang.