Brandon Nakashima passed his Italian test with flying colours on Thursday, defeating Franceso Passaro 4-3(4), 4-2, 4-1 to reach the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

The American won his opening two Green Group matches in Milan, but knew a straight-sets defeat against Passaro would see him bundled out of the tournament at the expense of the 21-year-old.

However, as he has done throughout the season, Nakashima produced a resilient performance, overcoming Passaro and the crowd at the Allianz Cloud to secure victory after 61 minutes.

“I know he has had a great year this year. I thought my level was really high today,” Nakashima said. “It was nice to see it carrying over from yesterday. To come out and play like that was super special.”

The 21-year-old’s win means he tops Green Group and will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Jack Draper in the semi-finals on Friday. Runner-up Jiri Lehecka will face Red Group winner Dominic Stricker. In an impressive performance, Nakashima blasted 17 winners and saved the one break point he faced to finish the round-robin stage with a 3-0 record.

Nakashima has now earned 33 tour-level wins this season. The World No. 49, who advanced to the semi-finals on debut in Milan last year, lifted his first tour-level trophy in San Diego in September.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will not be in the same Nitto ATP Finals group, it was revealed at the draw Thursday.

Nadal is the top seed at the year-end championships for the fifth time. The Spaniard, this year’s Australian Open and Roland Garros champion, will try to lift the season finale trophy for the first time. The lefty leads Green Group alongside Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz.

Seventh seed Novak Djokovic will try to make history at the Pala Alpitour. The five-time champion can tie Roger Federer’s record of six Nitto ATP Finals titles. Stefanos Tsitsipas tops Red Group with Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. 

Three former Nitto ATP Finals titlists are in the field: Djokovic, Medvedev and Tsitsipas. The draw was held at Intesa Sanpaolo Headquarters in Turin.

SINGLES

Green Group
Rafael Nadal (1)
Casper Ruud (3)
Felix Auger-Aliassime (5)
Taylor Fritz (8)

Red Group
Stefanos Tsitsipas (2)
Daniil Medvedev (4)
Andrey Rublev (6)
Novak Djokovic (7)

The doubles draw was also revealed Thursday. Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, who in Paris clinched the year-end No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Doubles Team Ranking, headline Green Group with Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic, Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek and Thanasi Kokkinakis/Nick Kyrgios. Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury lead Red Group with Marcelo Arevalo/Jean-Julien Rojer, Lloyd Glasspool/Harri Heliovaara and Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos.

DOUBLES

Green Group
Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski (1)
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic (4)
Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek (5)
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios (8)

Red Group
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury (2)
Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer (3)
Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara (6)
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (7)

British lefty Jack Draper has done his talking on the court this season, earning victories against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to his current career-high No. 41 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 20-year-old is competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals this week, earning his maiden match win on Wednesday. But what is Draper like off-court? ATPTour.com caught up with him to find out.

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
I would be a detective. I’ve always been fascinated by crime. In a good way, of course. I feel like it would be quite an adrenaline rush of a job. And I like that sort of stuff. I like a lot of crime shows, but I’ve got nothing left to watch. I think I’ve completed it.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
There are a lot of controversial ones in there. I’d probably say Donald Trump. Conor McGregor. feel like we’ve got to have a comedian in there as well to liven it up a bit. So, I’d probably say Jimmy Carr. I think Trump and McGregor are fascinating people. They obviously got to the pinnacle of what they’ve done. Very successful. I just think it would be a lot of fun.

Describe your perfect day if you are not playing tennis?
My perfect day would be to wake up a bit later. I would see some friends, play a bit of Xbox and chill out, and then definitely as the day goes on, maybe 4pm, go out and have a few drinks. And then maybe have a nice meal and just be with good people and just have a great time.

Having a good solid dinner somewhere. Maybe a curry or something. Just enjoying the moment I suppose.

Who has had the greatest impact on your life and why?
I’d say there are so many people that have had a huge impact on my life, but I guess from a life perspective, not necessarily tennis, I’d say my mum. I love my mum to bits.

She’s everything to me. And she’s taught me pretty much all I know about my values as a human being. And she’s always been incredibly supportive of my journey as a tennis player as well. So she’s given me all these opportunities over the years and hopefully from now on I can start looking after her.

What is the most interesting thing you have done in your life?

I think the most interesting thing in my life compared to a lot of other people’s lives is I’ve had the ability to travel the world.

Whether I’ve gone to good places or not-so-amazing places, I’ve been to so many. I was thinking to myself the other day how many countries I’ve been to, which probably don’t even think about or register in my own mind as I’ve been there. I reckon I’ve probably been to 50-plus countries and experienced a lot of the world in good ways and in bad ways.

So I suppose that’s one thing compared to a lot of other people my age is that and it’s pretty specialist that I’ve been able to travel the world and see a lot of things. It’s amazing.

If you had to choose between attending a music concert or a sporting event, what would you choose and why?
I would go to a football game. Like a Celtic vs. Rangers or Man United vs. Man City or a Man United vs. Liverpool match. I think the atmosphere at a high-level sporting event is something special. As a fellow athlete, it always gives me the motivation to go and see other athletes and high performers do what they do best.

Have you got a hidden talent and can you tell me a bit about how you got into that?
It’s not really talent, but I’m terrible at cards. I’ve just started playing on my recent trips away. And I know cards are a bit of a luck game, but I can’t win anything.
I’m not unlucky anymore. I’m just bad at the game. My hidden talent is, I’m embarrassingly bad at cards.

After a dramatic Day 2 which saw two matches decided in final-set tie-breaks at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, Thursday’s play promises more thrills, with three semi-final places still up for grabs in Milan.

Lorenzo Musetti and Jack Draper will close round-robin play with a winner-takes-all showdown in the Red Group, where the undefeated Dominic Stricker has already clinched first place. Brandon Nakashima is also a perfect 2-0, but could still be pipped by Jiri Lehecka and Francesco Passaro in the Green Group for a place in the semis. Matteo Arnaldi also has a potential path into the knockout rounds.

With several qualifying scenarios in play, a high-stakes day of tennis is on tap at the Allianz Cloud.

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[2] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs. [3] Jack Draper (GBR)

No need for any computations here! This marquee matchup between the two highest-ranked players in the Milan field effectively amounts to a traditional quarter-final: The winner is through to the semis while the loser will head home for the offseason.

The first ATP Head2Head meeting between Musetti and Draper is a rematch of their 2019 Wimbledon juniors quarter-final, which Draper won on home soil en route to the final. This time it will be the Italian with home advantage, though he will have to overcome disappointment and fatigue from a late-night, five-set defeat to Stricker on Tuesday.

Draper enters Day 3 on the heels of his first Milan victory, a 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(2), 4-2 result against Chun-Hsin Tseng which eliminated the sixth seed from semi-final contention. After losing the opening set for the second straight match, the Briton used a mid-set pep talk to turn the tables.

“It’s a quick format, so you need to be sharp,” he said post-match. “When I sat down for the change of ends at the end of the first set, I had a real go at myself. I said, ‘You’ve got to be sharper, you’ve got to be more switched on and you’ve got to be alert out here’, because it can go very quickly if you’re not quite all there. So, I’m glad I mentally turned things round.”

A quick start could prove critical in quieting the Milan crowd, who have roared in support of the three Italian players competing this week.

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[4] Brandon Nakashima (USA) vs. [8] Francesco Passaro (ITA)

Despite his perfect 2-0 record, Nakashima may still need a result in his final match to reach the semi-finals. But a win for Arnaldi against Lehecka would take the drama out of this match — at least for the American, who would be assured of a semi-final place in that scenario.

In all likelihood, only a heavy defeat would put Nakashima in danger of a shock exit. After two days of play, the fourth seed matches Stricker with a tournament-best 6-2 set record, but holds a better games-won percentage than the Swiss after wins against Arnaldi and Lehecka.

Passaro, who saved three match points to defeat fellow Italian Arnaldi on Wednesday, currently sits third in the Green Group but could still finish top if he follows an Arnaldi win with a victory of his own on Day 3.

[5] Jiri Lehecka (CZE) vs. [9] Matteo Arnaldi [ITA]

Lehecka, thanks to his straight-sets win against Passaro on Tuesday, is in second place in the Green Group. A victory in three or four sets against Arnaldi would clinch his progress to the semi-finals, though a five-set win could leave him in danger of elimination by percentage of games won — provided Passaro scores a straight-sets victory against Nakashima.

For Arnaldi, there is only one path to the semi-finals. The Italian must defeat Lehecka in Thursday’s opening match and receive help from Nakashima with a win against Lehecka. In that scenario, Nakashima would win the group, with Arnaldi moving into second.

[6] Chun-Hsin Tseng (TPE) vs. [7] Dominic Stricker (SUI)

Stricker earned his semi-final berth the hard way by completing an upset double against Draper and Musetti, the two highest-ranked men in the field. All eight of the sets contested by the Swiss have been decided in tie-breaks as he beat Draper in three and Musetti in five.

While Stricker cannot be knocked off his perch atop the Red Group, Tseng will be motivated to finish his Milan campaign on a high note after two straight-sets defeats. The 21-year-old is the second Asian man to compete at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, following 2017 champ Hyeon Chung.

Dominic Stricker became the first player to book his spot in the semi-finals at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Wednesday when he overcame Lorenzo Musetti 4-3(5), 4-3(6), 3-4(7), 3-4(6), 4-3(3) in a late-night Milan thriller.

The Swiss lefty downed Jack Draper in his opening match on debut in Milan and backed up that win with an aggressive performance against Italian Musetti. Stricker struck his topspin forehand with precision and showcased his fighting spirit, saving two set points in the second-set tie-break before eventually triumphing after two hours and 28 minutes.

The lefty squandered one match point in the third-set tie-break, but regrouped to hold his nerve in the decider, blasting an array of winners to upset the home favourite Musetti in a match that will go down in tournament history.

The seventh seed Stricker now holds a 2-0 record in the Red Group and has qualified for Friday’s semi-finals. Musetti will take on Draper on Thursday in the Red Group in a winner-takes-all clash at the Allianz Cloud, with both going 1-1 in their opening matches.

The 21-and-under event plays host to a range of rules and innovations that are not used at tour-level events. One of those is the video review system, which came into force for the first time this week during the clash to see whether Musetti had volleyed the ball before it crossed the net. The outcome indicated Musetti had not.

The 20-year-old Stricker, who fired 20 aces against Musetti, earned four Top 40 wins this season and captured two ATP Challenger Tour titles.

Did You Know?
Dominic Stricker has now won six tie-breaks, having defeated Jack Draper 4-3(5), 4-3(5), 4-3(5) in his opening match.

A star-studded field has been named for the inaugural United Cup, an annual mixed team event set to be played in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from Thursday 29 December to Sunday 8 January 2023.

Entries from the top 16 countries have been announced today, with Team Greece, led by world No.3 Stefanos Tsitsipas and [6] Maria Sakkari named as the top seeds.

World No.1 Iga Swiatek and [11] Hubert Hurkacz will lead No.2-seeded Poland, with third seeded United States featuring a wealth of talent, including world No.3 Jessica Pegula, ninth-ranked Taylor Fritz, world No.11 Madison Keys and the charismatic showman, world No.19 Frances Tiafoe.

The legendary Rafael Nadal will team up with world No.13 Paula Badosa to fly the flag for Spain, while emerging tennis powerhouse Italy will star world No.16 Matteo Berrettini and Martina Trevisan.

France rounds out the top six seeds, led by WTA Finals winner and world No.4 Caroline Garcia and Arthur Rinderknech.

Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanovic and Alex de Minaur will don the green and gold to represent Australia.
Other notable entries include Norway’s world No.4 Casper Ruud, Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Stan Wawrinka, along with Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
The top six WTA ranking-qualified countries, top five ATP ranking-qualified countries and the top five combined entry countries have been admitted to the competition.

The final two remaining countries (one ATP and one combined entry) will be admitted to the competition on Monday 21 November, based on the rankings published on this date.

P= Protected ranking, J= Junior ranking, *= Doubles ranking

“The playing group is very excited about the United Cup, and that’s confirmed in the high quality and calibre of those who’ve committed to the event. We are delighted with the depth and breadth of the teams, and we can look forward to many exciting match ups and lots of entertaining tennis,” United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said.

“The United Cup also marks the return of international tennis to Brisbane and Perth and we know the fans can’t wait to soak up all the action. All three cities will relish the opportunity to see the world’s best players unite and compete side by side as we launch the tennis season globally here in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.”

The United Cup, an ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, offers USD $15 million in prize money and up to 500 Pepperstone ATP Rankings and 500 WTA Rankings points.

Brisbane, Perth and Sydney will each host two groups of three countries competing in a round-robin format from 29 December to 4 January. Each tie comprises two men’s and two women’s singles matches and one mixed doubles match.

The winners of each group will play off, with the city winners advancing to the United Cup Final Four in Sydney to be played from 6 to 8 January. The next best performing team from the group stages will complete the quartet.

Today the official draw will reveal the city where each team will play this summer. Watch the draw live from 2.00pm AEDT on the United Cup Facebook page.

Note: Player participation is subject to change.

Jack Draper held firm in the face of a strong start from Chun-Hsin Tseng on Wednesday at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, where the Briton completed a 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(2), 4-2 round-robin victory.

It was a crucial win for the 20-year-old as he seeks to progress to the semi-finals on debut at the 21-and-under season finale. Draper now owns a 1-1 record in Red Group, and he was delighted with the way he had bounced back against Tseng, having fallen to Dominic Stricker in his opening match.

“I thought Stricker played an amazing match yesterday, so all credit to him,” said Draper after his 93-minute triumph against Tseng. “I maybe wasn’t at my best, but I thought he played an exceptionally good match so it was tough to go to sleep last night knowing that I played OK and still lost.

“Today I knew it would be a really tough match and I came out a bit slow but I had a good talking to myself and tried to really find a way. I was able to do that today so I’m really happy.”

A rapid opening saw Tseng strike the ball more consistently than Draper in the pair’s first tour-level meeting. The 21-year-old from Chinese Taipei stayed solid to nullify his opponent’s power and clinched the only break of a 17-minute first set as the quicker shot clock (just 15 seconds if the server hits an ace, a double fault or if the returner misses the return through forced or unforced error) contributed to the intense speed of the match.

Draper found rhythm behind his big lefty forehand at the start of the second set, however, and it became the dominant weapon in the match thereafter. The Briton bludgeoned 19 winners, including six aces, as his superior power ultimately proved decisive.

“It’s a quick format, so you need to be sharp,” said Draper. “When I sat down for the change of ends at the end of the first set, I had a real go at myself. I said, ‘You’ve got to be sharper, you’ve got to be more switched on and you’ve got to be alert out here’, because it can go very quickly if you’re not quite all there. So, I’m glad I mentally turned things round.”

Draper’s win opens the door for Lorenzo Musetti to seal his semi-final spot on Wednesday evening. The home favourite takes on Dominic Stricker in the final match of the day at the Allianz Cloud, where he can seal his progress from the round-robin stage with a straight-sets victory against the Swiss.