Basilashvili Downs Daniel To Win Seoul Open Challenger - Now Targets Aussie Open Qualis

Nikoloz Basilashvili is the 2024 Sisley Seoul Open Challenger Champion. The Georgian overcame top seed Taro Daniel 7-5 6-4 at Seoul's Olympic Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon to claim his first title in more than three years.

It wasn't plain sailing. Taro Daniel struck first, breaking on Basilashvili's third service game to go 4-2 up in the opener and then held his own serve for 5-2. But that was as good as it got for the Japanese number two. Basilashvili held and then broke as Daniel attempted to serve out the set. Those would prove to be the first two of seven consecutive games that Basilashvili would win, taking the first set 7-5 and then immediately going a break up in the second.

There was no way back for Daniel, who may have still been coming to terms with the loss of half of his rackets in an overnight theft from the stringers prior to his Saturday semi-final. Basilashvili, who didn't have to play a semi after Antoine Escoffier withdrew, didn't allow another break point as he comfortably held his serve to win the second set 6-4 and take the title, his first since the ATP 250 Bavarian Championships in Munich in May 2021.

"I am very happy." Basilashvili said after the match, before reflecting on his journey back to this point. "I had one year off with my injury and it took me the whole of this year to come back. In the first half of the year I could not open up my right hand completely, so I could not slice. But now that I won the title, I'm feeling great. I'm serving good, my hand is ok - I had four surgeries so it takes a while to recover....Physically I'm feeling good but I need some confidence, like this tournament, and I need some (ranking) points."

Pic: Nikoloz Basilashvili in an earlier round in Seoul

Nevertheless, Basilashvili remained, as always, self-critical "I don't think I played great today. I started with some simple mistakes but then I focused on my serve and lowered my unforced errors...but I couldn't play great tennis today and I don't know why."

He has reasons for optimism, though. The title catapults Basilashvili up almost 100 places in the rankings and the former world number 16 confirmed that entry to Australian Open Qualifying is his target, something that should now be assured: "I planned five tournaments, one here and four in Japan and my goal was just to get into Australian Open qualifying. Now I'm in for sure, I just want to get more and more points and start playing ATP tournaments."

Basilashvili has made the 3rd round of the main draw of the Australian Open on two occasions, in 2018 and 2019. It's a level he wants to be back at again. "I really think I can be playing top-50 tennis again, I just need the confidence."

Both Nikoloz Basilashvili and Taro Daniel are entered in the Matsuyama Challenger in Japan this coming week with Basilashvili to face Mattia Bellucci, while Daniel is slated for a rematch of his Seoul semi-final with Jurij Rodionov in the round of 32, both on Tuesday. Daniel told his followers in a wide-ranging Instagram live session on Sunday evening that while he was travelling to the tournament, he wasn't sure of his participation.

In the earlier Doubles final in Seoul, the Indian pair of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni overcame Vasil Kirkov and Bart Stevens in the Super Breaker 6-4 4-6 10-3.

Full Nikoloz Basilashvili Press Conference with Eddie of TennisAsia asking (most of) the questions: https://youtu.be/DaidQ8NudAM?si=koIg5fNkkxWChnSS