At the Shanghai Masters opener on Thursday, two home rising stars, Shang Juncheng and Buyunchaokete, lit up the courts at east China’s Shanghai Municipality with impressive first-round wins.
Wildcard Shang edged past U.S. player Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Shang grabbed an early break in the fifth game and held serve to close out the first set. Kovacevic bounced back in set two, but the 20-year-old Chinese mainland rising star regrouped in the decider, converting his fourth match point after his opponent saved three.
Meanwhile, Buyunchaokete also delivered a strong performance, securing his spot in round two and drawing cheers from the home crowd.
Next up, Shang Juncheng will face No. 9 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, while Buyunchaokete aims to ride his momentum deeper into the tournament.
Reference(s):
Shang Juncheng, Buyunchaokete win in Shanghai Masters openers
cgtn.com
