Nishesh Basavareddy (USA) spoke to the press after his maiden ATP Tour victory over Juncheng Shang, ranked 50 in the world.

Interviewer: Nishesh, your first ATP Tour event, your first victory over a top 50 player. Just describe what you’re feeling right now.

Nishesh Basavareddy: It’s incredible! I’m super excited, playing on this stadium is a dream come true. To have it happen in front of all these fans, at such a big event… I’m just trying to enjoy every moment.

Interviewer: It’s all happened so quickly. A couple of years at Stanford University, a couple of titles on the Challenger Tour, and now you’re playing amongst the elite 8 under 20. Tell us a little bit more about your journey.

Nishesh Basavareddy: Honestly, I never expected to be here. I left college in May, and things have just taken off. A lot of good results, a lot of hard work… it’s all led to this. I’m super happy.

Interviewer: You had a tough opening defeat here to someone you know very well, Alex Michelsen. What was the debrief after that match, and what experience did you take into today’s win against Jerry Shang?

Nishesh Basavareddy: Yeah, it was a close one. This fast format, a couple of points can change a match. Yesterday against Alex, I thought I played well, but he was just better in the big moments. Today, I just wanted to be more positive, try to be more clutch. And I think I was able to do that today.