18-12 months-Outdated Shang Displaying Grace Beneath Strain as 2024 Kicks Off
Tennis

18-12 months-Outdated Shang Displaying Grace Beneath Strain as 2024 Kicks Off

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18-12 months-Outdated Shang Displaying Grace Beneath Strain as 2024 Kicks Off

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday January 3, 2024

China’s Juncheng Shang is certainly one of six youngsters contained in the ATP’s Top 200 and customarily regarded as a rising expertise that may very well be a future prime participant. The former junior No.1 is a gifted ball striker who certified for 3 of the 4 majors final yr and even earned two spectacular wins over Ben Shelton final summer time.

At the Citi Open final yr, the place he finally reached the spherical of 16, Shang grew to become the primary Chinese man to ever win a match on the US Open.

Tennis Express

Shang has not produced a meteoric rise like fellow younger weapons Carlos Alcaraz (19, and ranked second) and Holger Rune (20 and ranked eighth), however the present World No.183 been rising steadily beneath the radar since he turned professional. He solely gained 4 matches at tour-level in 2023, however notched 29 throughout all ranges.

In 2024, he has hit the bottom operating, notching two dramatic victories to succeed in his first ATP quarterfinal.

Shang, coached by Kei Nishikori’s former coach Dante Bottini, hails from Beijing however has spent a lot of his junior days at IMG Academy in Florida.

The quickly to be 19-year-old (birthday: February 2) saved a pair of match factors within the first spherical as he defeated Thirty third-ranked Laslo Djere of Serbia, and on Wednesday in Hong Kong he saved one other match level to get previous gifted Dane Botic Van de Zandschulp, 6-7(5), 7-6(2), 7-6(2).

Back-to-back prime 50 wins to begin a season? Not dangerous in any respect…

“My first ATP quarter-final, hopefully there’s more to come,” Shang told the crowd in Hong Kong. “This is home, so it’s extra special for me. I’m just super happy, with these amazing fans too and enjoying the moment.”


Shang, who confronted a match level with Van de Zandschulp main 6-5 in set two, says that each wins need to be referred to as the very best of his profession. He will face Frances Tiafoe within the quarterfinals.

Shang misplaced to Tiafoe in each of their earlier conferences, on the Australian Open final January and at Washington, D.C final August. He has by no means gained a set from the American.


The Beijing native is proud to be taking a web page from the legends of the got here along with his Houdini theatrics, and sees his success this week as a direct product of his exhausting work and willpower.

“You see all the nice gamers, they’ve moments saving match factors,” Shang mentioned. “It’s a great value for me to never give up, that’s how I want to play tennis into the future, to keep that attitude and to be myself.

Shang takes a philosophical approach to his tennis, and to life, seeing them as one and the same.

“I think it’s from the build-up in this pre-season. I haven’t always been this calm in important moments. On court time is only three hours and 32 minutes of the day, but you have 24 hours in the day. That just builds how you are as a person, not just in tennis, but in life too.”


Content Source: www.tennisnow.com