Shang Juncheng of the Chinese mainland has secured his first Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour final by overcoming Germany's Yannick Hanfmann with a score of 6-4, 6-4 in the men's singles semifinals at the Chengdu Open in Sichuan Province on Monday.
Displaying consistent performance, Shang converted crucial break points in the third games of both sets and finished each set with his powerful serves.
\"I felt that I was in good form when I woke up this morning,\" Shang shared during the post-match press conference. \"I want to thank every spectator for helping me advance to the final. I'm glad to make it to an ATP Tour final for the first time in my career.\"
In the upcoming final, Shang will face Italy's Lorenzo Musetti, the bronze medalist from the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, who defeated Russia's Alibek Kachmazov 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal. Musetti has already claimed two ATP Tour titles in his career, both achieved in 2022 at the Hamburg European Open and the Napoli Cup.
\"I will take a break first to prepare for tomorrow,\" Shang stated. \"Musetti has been performing well this summer. It will be an exciting match. I trained with him one or two years ago in Miami. He was already a world top-class player when I was 17 or 18. He is several years older than me. He's great, both as a person and a player, and I look forward to playing with him.\"
The final match in Chengdu will mark the first encounter between Shang and Musetti.
Reference(s):
China's Shang Juncheng reaches first ATP Tour final at Chengdu Open
cgtn.com
