Luca van asche

Next Gen ATP Finals: Alex Michelsen of the United States and Luca Van Assche made a winning start in the Next Gen ATP Finals, getting the better of Nishesh Basavareddy of the United States of America (USA) and China's Shang Juncheng respectively in the opening two matches of the event for 20-under-players on Wednesday.

Luca Van Assche set the ball rolling in Saudi Arabia, producing a classy overall opening performance. The Frenchman overcame fourth seed Juncheng 4-3(3), 2-4, 4-1, 4-3(5) in the first match of the week in the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Van Assche, who reached the semifinals in 2023, capitalised on an inconsistent showing from his third-seeded opponent to seal a one-minute, 56-minute win and move to 1-0 in Red Group.