Shang Juncheng of China hits a return during the second round of the Australian Open against Sumit Nagal of India in Melbourne on Jan 18, 2023. (Photo/Xinhua)

The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals began in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. In the first round of group-stage matches, China's Shang Juncheng fell 1-3 to France's Luca Van Assche.

This marked the 19-year-old Shang's debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals. In his first Red Group match, the world No. 50 faced Van Assche for the first time. After dropping a close first set in a tiebreak, Shang leveled the match by taking the second set. However, he struggled to maintain his momentum, eventually losing 3(3)-4, 4-2, 1-4, 3(5)-4.

"It was a difficult match today because he's an unbelievable player," Van Assche said. "He's in the top 50, so I knew it was going to be a tough match, and I'm very happy with my performance."

Shang revealed after the match that an eye infection early in the offseason had affected his return to peak form.

In the other Red Group match, Alex Michelsen of the United States rallied to defeat compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy 3-1. In the Blue Group, Learner Tien of the United States edged Czech player Jakub Mensik 3-2, and Brazil's Joao Fonseca prevailed 3-2 against France's Arthur Fils. 

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