In a thrilling match at the ATP Chengdu Open, China’s rising tennis star Shang Juncheng secured a spot in the men’s singles quarterfinals after a hard-fought victory over Russia’s Roman Safiullin on Saturday. The 19-year-old battled back from a set down to prevail 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in their first-ever meeting.
Shang, currently ranked a career-high World No. 65, entered the tournament with high expectations from home fans in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The opening set saw both players holding serve tightly until Safiullin, seeded eighth, broke late to take the set 7-5 after an intense rally.
Demonstrating resilience beyond his years, Shang regrouped in the second set, displaying powerful groundstrokes and tactical prowess to break Safiullin’s serve and claim the set 6-3. The momentum carried into the decisive third set, where Shang continued to dominate, hitting a total of 24 winners throughout the match.
With the home crowd cheering him on, Shang closed out the contest 6-3, sealing his place in his fourth Tour-level quarterfinal this season. “It’s always special to play at home,” Shang said after the match. “The support from the fans really lifted me, especially after losing the first set.”
Shang will next face Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik for a spot in the semifinals. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the young Chinese left-hander as he continues to make his mark on the international tennis stage.
Reference(s):
Shang joins Bublik, Musetti, Mannarino, reaching Chengdu Open last 8
cgtn.com
