The Next Gen: At the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Luca Van Assche triumphs over Abdullah Shelbayh.

Luca Van Assche defeated Abdullah Shelbayh 4-3 (7-5) 3-4 (5-7) 4-1 4-1 to advance to the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah with a 1-0 lead in the Red Group.

Shelbayh’s net approaches and drop shots delighted the audience, but he only converted two of his seventeen break points.

It was the players’ first time participating in the Next Gen Finals.

Van Assche hit 17 winners, while Shelbayh hit 28. Compared to Shelbayh’s 34 unforced errors, Van Assche made just 19.

In the opening game, Van Assche took an early break and in the second, he held serve on the game’s final point to take a 2-0 lead after saving three break points. In the fourth game, Shelbayh struck back at love to tie the score at 2-2. Van Assche won the tie-break 7-5 after rallying from a 2-4 deficit.

In order to get to the tie-break, the second set went to serve. In the third game, Van Assche held serve on the decisive point by preventing four break points. At 6-2, Shelbayh was awarded four set points. Van Assche managed to salvage a 5-6 lead by saving the first three set points, but Shelbayh secured his fourth mini-break with a drop shot, securing the tie-break 7-5.

Van Assche prevailed 4-1 in the third set after breaking twice in the opening and fifth games. In the opening game of the fourth set, Shelbayh converted his third break point to lead 1-0, but Van Assche won four games in a row with two breakaways of service.

Van Assche won seven of the ten deciding points of the match.

“Today’s bout against a formidable opponent was challenging. Abdullah and I are really close. He is a fantastic athlete. The audience was applauding him, making him feel almost at home. It was a great fit for me and really difficult all the way through. It is nearly impossible to go without a warm-up. Van Assche commented, “I just hit a couple of balls before I entered the court.”..

The audience from neighboring Jordan gave Shelbayh a resounding round of applause.