Preview Chengdu Open Semifinals: Lorenzo Musetti and Brandon Nakashima one step away from the final

The Asian swing is underway with the ATP 250 Chengdu Open, one of four tournaments that will kick off the final stretch of the season in China. The semifinals are set, with Lorenzo Musetti and Brandon Nakashima looking to earn a spot in the final.

Unlike most tournaments played during the year, the men's event runs from Wednesday to Tuesday. The semifinals will be played this Monday, September 22, while the final will be on Tuesday, the 23rd.

The Italian Musetti, the first seed, will face off against Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko, while the fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima will look to stop the inspired run of Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, a qualifier.

The Italian, ranked world No. 9, is the only top-10 player already competing in China. While some of his colleagues are resting, recovering from injuries, or even playing in the Laver Cup in San Francisco this weekend, Musetti was the only one to play for ranking points, and so far with good results.

In the midst of a battle to stay in the top 10, the Italian quickly returned to the courts in Chengdu as the first seed and has already reached the semifinals. Along the way, he defeated Croatia's Dino Prizmic (7-5, 3-6, 6-2) and former Indian Wells runner-up Nikoloz Basilashvili. The 2024 finalist is reaching an ATP tournament semifinal for the sixth time this season, although he has only reached one final. This will be a great opportunity for the 23-year-old (the only top-15 player without a title this season), as he faces world No. 96 Alexander Shevchenko in the semifinals.

The 24-year-old from Kazakhstan has eliminated several tough rivals on his way (Gael Monfils, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Taro Daniel) and will be looking to play in the second final of his career. He has only one previous encounter against Musetti, a win for the Italian at Roland Garros in 2023, and a 2-10 record against top-10 players.

This is an interesting matchup for the American, Brandon Nakashima (No. 33), who has consistently managed to stay in the top ranks of the ATP for the past year but hasn't yet made a major leap. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion is looking to return to a final for the first time in over three years, while also looking to add points in the final part of the season.

The 24-year-old American defeated local favorite Shang Juncheng in straight sets and his compatriot Marcos Giron in a tight third-set tiebreak. With this, he has successfully defended the points he earned in Hangzhou by reaching the semifinals in 2024.

He will face a tricky rival in Alejandro Tabilo, a player whose injuries have caused his ranking to fall outside the top 100 in recent months, but who is now finding his rhythm. A year ago, Tabilo was playing in the Laver Cup as one of the stars of Team World, but this time he is only ranked No. 112 and had to play in the qualifiers to enter this ATP 250 tournament while also competing in Challenger tournaments.

The South American arrives on fire, with five consecutive wins including the qualifiers, where he eliminated rivals like Jordan Thompson, Luciano Darderi (second seed), and Christopher O'Connell. This is the best week of the year for Tabilo, who is looking to reach the fifth final of his career. So far, Tabilo and Nakashima have one win each in their two previous meetings, both in 2024.