The Next Gen Finals witnessed compelling performances from Arthur Fils and Hamad Medjedovic as they secured victories, maintaining their undefeated streaks during the round-robin stage on Wednesday.
Nineteen-year-old French player Arthur Fils, seeded at the top, displayed dominance on the court by defeating Italian player Flavio Cobolli with a convincing scoreline of 4-1, 4-2, 4-2. Meanwhile, Medjedovic emerged victorious against Fils’ compatriot Luca Van Assche with a hard-fought battle resulting in a score of 4-2, 2-4, 4-3 (7), 4-1.
The Next Gen Finals implement unique rules, featuring a best-of-five-sets format where each set concludes when a player reaches four games, with a tiebreak initiated at 3-3.
Fils currently leads the green group with an impeccable record of two wins out of two matches. Additionally, Dominic Stricker secured his first victory in the same group by defeating Luca Nardi with a score of 4-1, 4-1, 4-2.
In the red group led by Medjedovic, Jordanian player Abdullah Shelbayh demonstrated his prowess by defeating Alex Michelsen of the United States with a score of 4-2, 1-4, 4-0, 4-0.
This tournament, now in its sixth edition, features the top eight ATP Tour players aged 21 or under. Notably, this year marks its inaugural edition in Saudi Arabia after being held in Milan since its inception in 2017. The event introduces modified tennis rules, including shorter changeovers and reduced time on the shot clock for certain points.
Among the contenders, Arthur Fils stands as the sole player in the draw ranked within the top 50. Other potential participants ranked higher, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, received exemptions due to their qualification for the ATP Finals. Additionally, Ben Shelton is absent due to medical reasons, while Lorenzo Musetti withdrew from the tournament citing personal grounds.
The Next Gen Finals continue to provide a platform for emerging talent, showcasing their skills and resilience on a global stage, as they vie for supremacy in this prestigious tournament.
Arthur Fils in 2023
At the moment ranked no.36 (career-high), Fils played his last match on the 29th of November when he overcame world no.100 Flavio Cobolli 4-1 4-2 4-2 in the round robin in the Next Gen ATP Finals (draw).
Until now, during this year Fils has achieved a composed 41-23 match record. Arthur conquered 2 titles in 2023 in the Oeiras 2 Challenger and Lyon. Fils was the runner-up in the Quimper Challenger and Antwerp.
Hamad Medjedovic in 2023
At the moment ranked no.110, the Serbian played his last match on the 29th of November when he overcame world no.70 Luca Van Assche 4-2 2-4 4-3(7) 4-1 in the round robin in the Next Gen ATP Finals (draw).
Until now, during this year the Serbian owns a compiled 45-23 match record. The Serbian has won 3 titles in 2023 in the Szekesfehervar Challenger, the Mauthausen Challenger and the Mallorca Challenger.
Arthur Fils and Hamad Medjedovic have never faced off.