Nishesh Basavareddy, a 19-year-old American tennis player with Indian roots, is set to face Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open.

Moments after reaching his first ATP semifinal at the Auckland Classic on Thursday (9), Basavareddy named Djokovic as his favorite player and revealed he has modeled his game after the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

The matchup is a dream-come-true scenario for Basavareddy, who rallied to defeat Alex Michelsen 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the Auckland Classic—a key warm-up event for the Grand Slam.

Speaking after his victory, the teenager said, “My favorite has always been Djokovic. I’ve looked up to a lot of different players and modeled my game after a lot of players, but he’s been my favorite.”

While his strong return game has drawn comparisons to Djokovic, Basavareddy has established his own reputation on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning two titles and reaching four additional finals last season Read More….