Exactly a year to the day since his last ATP Masters 1000 match win, Chinese wild card Shang Juncheng earned another victory at the level on Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he clawed past Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
The 20-year-old lefty was sidelined from January until August with a foot injury but returned to Tour in Toronto in July. After reaching the second round in Chengdu last month, Shang captured his biggest win since his return on home soil at the Masters 1000 event, where he struck 32 winners to eliminate Kovacevic in one hour and 57 minutes.
"This year has been the toughest so far in my life but it is not enough to knock me down," Shang said. "But playing at home feels great, with a full crowd and everyone cheering as loud as they can for me, which gives me a lot of energy. As everyone says, if it doesn't know you down, you are going to come back stronger and that is what I am trying to do."
#NextGenATP Shang, who reached the semi-finals in Hong Kong at the start of the season, became the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title on home soil last year in Chengdu. Aiming to re-find his best level this fortnight in Shanghai, the World No. 237 will next play ninth seed Karen Khachanov.
Earlier, American Jenson Brooksby continued his good form with a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory against James Trotter. The 24-year-old advanced to the semi-finals at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo last week and is now on the cusp of the Top 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Brooksby, who was unranked at the start of the year, will next play Tallon Griekspoor.
On Stadium Court, Benjamin Bonzi and Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina advanced. Bonzi overcame big-serving American Reilly Opelka 7-6(2), 6-4 to set a meeting with Gabriel Diallo, while Svrcina advanced after Chinese wild card Wu Yibing was forced to retire due to injury after losing the first set 5-7.
Kamil Majchrzak, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, beat Ethan Quinn 6-3, 6-4 to improve to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and Jesper de Jong downed Chinese wild card Yi Zhou 6-7(1), 6-2, 7-6(3). Argentines Francisco Comesana and Camilo Ugo Carabelli both advanced. Comesana eliminated Ugo Blanchet 6-4, 6-2 and Ugo Carabelli reached the second round when Cincinnati semi-finalist Terence Atmane was forced to retire at 4-4 in the first set.
Nuno Borges, Alejandro Tabilo and Arthur Cazaux advanced. Borges beat Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6(5), 7-6(5) and Chengdu champ Tabilo defeated Marcos Giron 6-4, 6-3. Cazaux clawed past Pedro Martinez 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Novak Djokovic begins his campaign on Friday against Marin Cilic, with Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton also in action.
