Shang Juncheng withdraws due to injury at Next Gen ATP Finals

JEDDAH, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese player Shang Juncheng withdrew from his final group-stage match at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, due to physical discomfort, concluding his run in the tournament.

Shang faced No. 2 seed Alex Michelsen of the United States, who had already secured two consecutive wins and advanced to the semifinals. Shang was not in his best form, struggling with an injury, and losing the first set 1-4. He retired in the second set with a score of 1-1.

Shang had previously mentioned that he had not fully recovered his form after an eye infection early in the offseason.

After the match, Michelsen said, "Obviously, I wish Jerry could have played today, but I knew he was a little sick yesterday, so it's just unfortunate timing for him, he's a great player."

In the other decisive match in the Red Group, France's Luca Van Assche staged a comeback, defeating American Nishesh Basavareddy 3-1 to finish second in the group with a 2-1 record and advance to the semifinals.

In the Blue Group, Brazil's Joao Fonseca, who had already secured a semifinal spot, defeated Czech player Jakub Mensik 3-2, earning a perfect 3-0 record in the group stage. Meanwhile, American Learner Tien defeated France's Arthur Fils 3-1 to secure second place in the group and advance to the semifinals.

Michelsen will face compatriot Tienin in the semifinals, while Fonseca will compete against Van Assche. ■