Team Michael Chang secured a decisive victory over Team Li Na with an overall score of 11-6 at the MGM Macao Tennis Masters in south China’s Macao Special Administrative Region on Wednesday.
Entering the second day of competitions with a narrow 4-3 lead, Team Michael Chang faced four critical matches. The first match of the day contributed one point to the winning team, while the subsequent three matches were worth three points each, adding intensity to the tournament’s climax.
Michael Chang set the tone for his team by winning the captain’s challenge match, extending their lead to 5-3. Demonstrating strategic acumen, Chang selected Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic for the women’s singles clash against China’s Wang Xinyu. Muchova showcased resilience by taking the first set 6-3 and making a remarkable comeback in the second set, saving three set points to win 7-5, thereby amplifying their advantage to 8-3.
The men’s singles match featured a high-stakes battle between two top-ranked players: World No. 6 Casper Ruud of Norway representing Team Li Na, and World No. 8 Andrey Rublev of Russia playing for Team Michael Chang. Rublev triumphed over Ruud with a score of 6-4, 7-5, securing the third consecutive win for his team.
In the final event of the day, Team Li Na deployed Shang Juncheng to face Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori. The 19-year-old Shang delivered an impressive performance, defeating Nishikori 6-3, 6-4. Despite Shang’s victory narrowing the gap, the overall score stood at 11-6, cementing Team Michael Chang’s triumph at the tournament.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
