The first
day of the 2024
Next Gen ATP Finals saw the eight competitors take to the court
for their opening Round-Robin matches.
Arthur Fils,
Jakub Mensik, and Shang
Juncheng, all currently ranked within the top 50, failed to capitalize on their
favorite status and began the tournament with defeats.
The
tournament features some unique rules compared to the regular ATP Tour,
including a different scoring system. Sets consist of four games, and in the
case of a 3-3 tie, a tiebreaker to 7 points is played. Additionally, there are
no lets, making the points more dynamic.
Blue
Group
The first match of the day featured world No. 20 Arthur Fils, the
highest-ranked player in the tournament, against 18-year-old Brazilian star
Joao Fonseca. Fils showed determination in key moments, winning the first set,
but Fonseca gradually found his rhythm and began to challenge one of the
season's top performers.
Fonseca
totaled 12 aces and won 74% of his first-serve points, securing a 3-4(9), 4-2,
4-1, 1-4, 4-1 victory. This is his second win over Fils, having defeated him
earlier in the year in the first round of the ATP 500 Rio Open, where Fils had
received a wildcard entry.
Later,
another 2024 standout took to the court: Czech Jakub Mensik (No. 48) and third
seed. It seemed like a good opportunity for Mensik to lead the group, as he
faced American learner Tien (No. 122), one of the lesser-known players in the
draw. The American showed his credentials and took the lead in the first two
sets. Though Mensik fought back and pushed the match to a fifth set, Tien
ultimately secured a tight win, 4-3(6), 4-3(3), 2-4, 2-4, 4-3(8). Tien now sits
second in the group behind Fonseca.
Arthur Fils at 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals.
Red
Group
The Red Group saw Alex Michelsen (No. 41) face his compatriot Nishesh
Basavareddy (No. 138), who secured his spot just before the entry list
deadline. Michelsen has played ATP Tour events throughout the season and was
clearly the more experienced player. He managed 9 aces and won 83% of his
first-serve points, compared to Basavareddy's 3 aces and 73% first-serve
success.
Michelsen’s
consistency prevailed as the match progressed. Despite losing the first set, he
gained control starting from the second, winning 2-4, 4-3(5), 4-3(4), 4-2.
In the
final match of the day, Chinese star
Shang Juncheng (No. 50) was challenged by
Luca Van Assche (No. 128), who had previous Next Gen experience, having reached
the semifinals in 2023. Shang entered the match as the favorite after a stellar
season, including winning his first ATP 250 title at the Chengdu Open,
defeating none other than Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
Once again,
the favorite failed to meet expectations. Van Assche won a tight first set, but
Shang responded to take the second. However, the comeback was not enough, and
the Frenchman secured a vital victory in his quest to lead the group, 4-3(3),
2-4, 4-1, 4-3(5), leaving him as the group leader for now.