Second seed Michelsen meets last year's semi-finalist Van Assche in rematch

Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting carries significant implications Thursday at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

After each suffered a loss on Day 1, the top-seeded Fils and third seed Mensik are eager to strengthen their positioning in Blue Group. The loser will fall to 0-2 in round-robin play, delivering a blow to their chances of advancing to the semi-finals.

Fifth seed Learner Tien and Joao Fonseca cap the evening session in what will be a rematch of last year’s US Open boys’ singles championship match. China’s Shang Juncheng and American Nishesh Basavareddy begin Day 2 with Luca Van Assche and Alex Michelsen to follow as they battle for first place in Red Group.

[1] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [3] Jakub Mensik (CZE)
Fils and Mensik are among the heaviest hitters in the game, promising a thrilling showdown. Fans can expect a high-octane clash full of superb shotmaking, yet also a chess match of who can dictate play first.

Last year’s finalist Fils has hopes of going one step further this week to place his hands around the trophy, which would be his third this season across all levels. Fils won the ATP 500s in Hamburg and Tokyo. Mensik, the ATP Newcomer of the Year, will be determined to bounce back from a narrow five-set defeat to Tien in his debut. The Czech has won three of his past five matches against Top 20 players and will look to build on that streak against World No. 20 Fils.

[5] Learner Tien (USA) vs [8] Joao Fonseca (BRA)
It will be akin to fire and ice when Tien and Fonseca step on court for battle. The lefty Tien possesses brickwall consistency that can wear down any opponent, baiting them into frustrating errors. The 18-year-old Fonseca — the youngest player in this year’s field — carries infectious energy, evident in his fearless ballstriking that he utilised in his Jeddah debut, a five-set victory against Fils.

Fonseca defeated Tien last year at the US Open, securing a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win to lift the boys’ singles crown. While that was a meeting with a trophy on the line, Thursday’s clash will determine who claims control atop Blue Group.

What are the semi-final qualification scenarios? Click here to find out.

[2] Alex Michelsen (USA) vs [6] Luca Van Assche (FRA)
After Michelsen earned his maiden win at the 20-and-under event Wednesday, he will now look to avenge last year’s razor-thin Jeddah defeat to Van Assche. The Frenchman escaped in five sets, four of which went to a tie-break. There were a combined 20 break points in last year’s clash, emphasising that both players will be keen to protect their serve.

Michelsen and Van Assche are two of three players making their second consecutive trip to Jeddah, alongside Fils. The American is at a career-high No. 41 in the PIF ATP Rankings following a standout season in which he reached two tour-level finals. Van Assche reached the third round at the Australian Open, marking the highlight of his season.

[4] Shang Juncheng (CHN) vs [7] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)
The 19-year-olds look to rebound after each suffered a four-set defeat on opening day. While Shang is the first player to represent China in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, Basavareddy is the third American competing this year alone. Shang, No. 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings, became just the second Chinese player to triumph on the ATP Tour with his title in Chengdu in September.

Basavareddy began this season at World No. 457 before making a splash on the ATP Challenger Tour. The American, now World No. 138, won two Challenger titles and reached four additional finals at that level. He tallied a 41-13 match record, becoming just the third American in Challenger history (since 1978) to earn more than 40 wins in a single season. Thursday will be Basavareddy and Shang’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head series meeting.