One day after beating the defending ASB Classic champion Chilean Alejandro Tibelo in straight sets, American Nishesh Basavareddy was again the underdog on the tennis court. The 19-year-old Basavareddy faced his friend and fellow California native, 20-year-old Alex Michelsen, in the quarterfinals.
Many wondered how Basavareddy would handle this situation. He just turned pro in December 2024. Basavareddy was a member of the Stanford tennis team for two years so all of this is uncharted territory. Beating the defending champion meant more eyeballs on him, more text messages, and more media coverage. It is a lot to manage in a small amount of time while preparing for his next-round match against the slightly older, more experienced, and higher-ranked Michelsen.
When Basavareddy lost the first set relatively quickly to the more experienced Michelsen, some thought it was the end of his dream run. They were wrong. With the same cool composure he espoused on Tuesday night against Tibelo, he worked his way back into the match.
After dropping the first set 2-6, Basavareddy turned things around for a quick 6-2 second set win. In the third set, now showing any nerves, he prevailed 6-4.
REDDY for the big time 🤩
Nishesh Basavareddy rallies past Michelsen 2-6 6-2 6-4 to reach his first ATP semi-final! #ASBClassic25 pic.twitter.com/YgEJgi58rS
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 9, 2025
His last name contains the word “ready” (spelled differently), and Nishesh Basavareddy seems to be just that as he advances to the semifinals. He is also teetering on being in the Top 100. His composure and tennis IQ at this stage in his professional career are remarkable.
Basavareddy could face Gael Monfils for the second time in his career. He played Monfils in the first round of Brisbane International on December 31 and lost in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 1-6. Monfils is playing his ASB Classic quarterfinal match against Facundo Diaz Acosta.
