Jordanian Abdullah Shelbayh keen to dazzle on Arab soil at Jeddah’s Next Gen Finals

24.11.2023 - 10:03 arabnews.com

With a career-high ranking next to his name and a maiden Challenger title under his belt, rising Jordanian Abdullah Shelbayh is looking to cap his strong 2023 campaign with a memorable performance at the upcoming Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.

The event, which features eight of the best players on the ATP Tour aged 21 and under, is into its sixth edition and will be staged in Saudi Arabia for the first time following a five-year stint in Milan.

Shelbayh, who turned 20 earlier this month, was awarded a wildcard into the tournament and is relishing the opportunity to showcase his talent on Arab soil.

After starting the year ranked 473 in the world, the Rafa Nadal Academy player has shot up the charts to crack the top 200 for the first time and land at 187 this week.

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It has been close to a decade since a BCCI tournament scorecard featured two of Indian cricket's greatest names -- Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. However, the three-day match between Karnataka and Delhi in the Vijay Merchant Trophy National U-16 boys' tourney, which started on Monday, certainly had a different zing to it as the team list featured a Dravid and a Sehwag, albeit for rival sides.

Next Gen Finals just the start for Saudi Arabia’s grand tennis plans

Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani cannot stop smiling as she reflects on the recently concluded Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah — the first officially sanctioned tennis tournament to take place in the Kingdom.

Medjedovic upsets Fils to win 5-set Next Gen Finals championship match

RIYADH: Hamad Medjedovic squandered two match points before he finally upset the top-seeded Arthur Fils and won the Next Gen Finals championship match on Saturday. It was the first five-set final in six editions of the tournament. Medjedovic missed the chance to seal it in four but converted his third match point in the fifth to beat Fils 3-4 (6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4 (9), 4-1 after two hours, 11 minutes. The 20-year-old Medjedovic did not lose a match on his way to becoming the first Serbian to win the tournament for the top eight players aged 21 or under. The tournament was held in Saudi Arabia for the first time after it was played in Milan ever since the inaugural edition in 2017. Besides shorter sets, other changes to the usual tennis rules included shorter changeovers and less time on the shot clock for some points. “I can’t believe I have won this title, but it’s going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024,” said Medjedovic, the lowest-ranked champion yet at No. 110. The 36th-ranked Fils became the youngest Frenchman in nearly two decades to win an ATP title when he triumphed at Lyon this year. Medjedovic, who is coached by Serbia Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki, reached tour-level semifinals in Gstaad and Astana and won three lower-level Challengers this year.

Local favorite Shelbayh upsets Mickelsen at Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah

JEDDAH: Jordan’s Abdullah Shelbayh captured the headlines on day two of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by NEOM with a victory against Alex Michelsen in front of a supportive crowd in Jeddah.

Next Gen ATP Finals in Saudi Arabia raising profile of future tennis stars

RIYADH: The Next Gen ATP Finals is set to make history as the first international tennis event hosted in Saudi Arabia when it takes place at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.

Next Gen ATP Finals stars sightsee in Jeddah ahead of tournament

LONDON: The stars of the Next Gen ATP Finals visited Al-Balad, the historic old town of Jeddah, for this year’s official group photo on Sunday.