China's rising tennis star, Shang Juncheng, faced a tough day on the courts at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 🎾 The 19-year-old suffered his second consecutive defeat, falling to American Nishesh Basavareddy with scores of 3-4(4), 4-2, 4-2, 4-1.
After a challenging first round against France's Luca Van Assche, where Shang was defeated 3-1, hopes were high for a comeback. And it started off promising! Shang clinched the first set in a thrilling tie-break, 4-3(4). 😎 But Basavareddy, the World No. 138, wasn't about to back down. He rallied in the second set, winning 4-2, and kept the momentum going, taking the next two sets 4-2 and 4-1. This victory marked Basavareddy's first career ATP Tour win—talk about making a splash! 🌊
With this result, Basavareddy stands at 1-1 in the Red Group and is eyeing a spot in the semi-finals as he prepares to face sixth seed Luca Van Assche on Friday. Meanwhile, Shang is gearing up to take on another American opponent, Alex Michelsen. Michelsen is on a roll, having already secured his place in the last four with a 2-0 record. It's going to be an exciting matchup! 🔥
Despite the setbacks, Shang's journey is just beginning. Young athletes like him are redefining the game, and we're here for every serve, volley, and match point. Keep swinging, Shang! 💪
Reference(s):
China's Shang suffers 2nd consecutive defeat at Next Gen ATP Finals
cgtn.com
