Chengdu: Basilashvili reaches semifinal, climbs 21 places

Nikoloz Basilashvili is back in the spotlight. The Georgian, who turned 34 on 23 February, put together his best week of the autumn in Chengdu: a semifinal at the ATP 250 event, stopped only by eventual champion Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 4-6 6-4 6-3. The result moves the rankings: according to his profile page on the site, he has gained 21 places since 9 September and sits at No. 107 with 591 points.

The points tell the story. A year ago in Chengdu, Basilashvili went out in the quarterfinals, beaten by Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 6-3, and collected 50 points. This time he banked 100, exactly double. That difference, added to the results of the previous weeks, explains much of his climb.

His path through the draw was clean. In the first round Basilashvili beat Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(3) 6-4, then Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-4 7-5 in the round of 16. In the three matches he won before the semifinal he never dropped a set, which says a lot about how steadily he handled the key moments.

The quarterfinal was the toughest. Against Jenson Brooksby the Georgian won 6-4 7-6(4), with the second set decided by a tie-break. Brooksby came in off a comeback win over Lorenzo Sonego, 5-7 7-5 6-2: the match with the most games in the whole tournament, 32 according to the results page. Basilashvili, by contrast, finished in two sets.

The semifinal was a different story. Davidovich Fokina arrived after his 6-1 7-5 win over Alexandre Muller in the quarterfinals. Basilashvili took the first set 6-4, then the Spaniard raised his level and turned the match around, winning the last two sets 6-4 6-3. Davidovich Fokina went on to take the title, beating Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 7-6(7) in the final.

For those who did not follow it, the event is an ATP 250 on hard courts that began on 21 September. The draw had 27 players from 18 countries, with France the best represented at three. There were 26 matches, 11 of them with tie-breaks, and not a single retirement. The recent list of champions reads Alejandro Tabilo in 2025 (beating Musetti 6-3 2-6 7-6(5) in the final), Juncheng Shang in 2024 and Alexander Zverev in 2023.

On to the rankings, where the gaps are tiny. Ahead of Basilashvili is Otto Virtanen, No. 106, just one point more (592). Behind is Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, No. 108, six points back (585). A little higher we find Damir Dzumhur, No. 105 with 618, and just below Lloyd Harris, No. 109 with 583. In this part of the list a single extra round can be worth several places.

His form, judging by the numbers, is up and down. Over his last 10 matches the Georgian has five wins and five losses; widening to the last 30, the record is 15 wins and 15 losses, a balance of zero. Chengdu was therefore a peak in a stretch of ups and downs, which makes it all the more valuable.

His 2025 season, in the tour-level events the site follows, was also uneven: 7 wins, 10 losses and no titles. Further back, 2021 remains his best year with 19 wins and 18 losses, two titles and three finals. Adding up the seasons from 2021 to 2025, the record is 35 wins and 50 losses, with two titles and four finals.

The picture by surface is balanced. Across 2021-2025 Basilashvili is 10-14 on hard courts, 8-8 on clay, 3-3 on grass and 5-6 indoors. The hard courts of Chengdu are therefore not his most favorable surface on paper, which makes the result even more notable.

Then there are the points to defend, which here work in his favor. In the next six weeks only 25 expire, those from the round of 16 at the 2025 European Open in Brussels, where he lost to Mpetshi Perricard (7-5 retired). With so little to defend, every good indoor result late in the season turns into a clear climb.

His most-played rivalries show a player used to facing big names. Against Mackenzie McDonald the record is 1-3 over four meetings, against Arthur Rinderknech 3-1 over four, against Taylor Fritz 2-2 over four. Those are not bit-part numbers, and they confirm that the Georgian commands respect when the level rises.

In the same Chengdu draw Federico Cina also did well, beating Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-3 6-2 in the first round. In the round of 16 he lost to Alexandre Muller, 7-6(3) 6-1. In this part of the rankings, in short, there is no shortage of comeback stories, and Basilashvili's is the most striking.

A light remark is allowed: at 34 the Georgian seems to have taken the wines of his homeland as a model, which improve with time. After a difficult 2025, the Chinese hard courts gave him back confidence and points, and the rankings rewarded him with 21 places more than on 9 September.

And now? The site's profile does not yet list his next event, but the autumn indoor calendar is the ideal ground to consolidate the climb. With only 25 points to defend over the next six weeks, Basilashvili can afford to play aggressively and chase Virtanen, Dzumhur and the upper part of the rankings.

The message from Chengdu is clear: the Georgian is still around, and when he finds his rhythm he can be dangerous for anyone. It remains to be seen whether he can keep this week going, but the conditions for finishing the season on the rise are all there.