In the Chengdu Open final on Tuesday, teenage Shang Juncheng defeated Italian Olympic bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (4), 6-1, to become the second Chinese player to win an ATP title. Shang, rated 55th in the world and second in China, won his maiden title on the ATP Tour. At the age of 19, the former juniors No. 1 is also the season’s youngest ATP winner.
With Grand Slam victories at the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014, Li Na continues to be China’s most successful singles player. A number of women, notably gold medalist Qinwen Zheng from the Paris Olympics, are vying for Li Na’s position. Also read: Davis Cup Final: Italy to face Argentina
However, the country has mainly failed to achieve success in the men’s division; Wu Yibing’s victory at the Dallas Open last year made him the first Chinese player to win an ATP championship.
Shang has also increased his push to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time. The top 20-and-under singles players in the world from the ATP Tour season will compete in the competition, which is being held in Saudi Arabia in November and December. Also read: Who Was Arther Ashe Wife? Know All About Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
With his victory in his first tour-level match since February, Croat wild card Marin Cilic became the lowest-ranked winner in ATP Tour history on Tuesday at the Hangzhou Open. With his victory, Cilic—who had been out due to a knee injury—moved up to 212 in the ATP rankings, from 777th at the beginning of the tournament.