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There's no place like home as a dream season continues for Zhang Zhizhen at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
The Shanghai-born Zhang surrendered only three games to veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet in a perfect beginning to his home tournament.
Thrilling an excited audience inside Qi Zhong Stadium, Zhang required less than hour to record the 6-1 6-2 win.
"Before the match, I was super nervous - like super, super," the 26-year-old admitted with a smile afterwards, while also showing the mindset that's helped him make history this year. "But when I step on the court, I just focus on what I need to do."
It's a strategy that's worked superbly this year for China's No.1 male player, who made history in Madrid as his nation's first-ever ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinalist and upset top-10 star Casper Ruud at the US Open.
A first match win in Shanghai's main draw added to his career-best year. "(I'm) still pretty excited because in the past, I never had won a set here," Zhang said.
Earlier, his countryman Bu Yunchaokete made a dream debut in a see-sawing contest against Miomir Kecmanovic - who at world No.46 is ranked more than 140 places above Bu.
The 21-year-old Bu appeared unfazed by the disparity as he took a 3-0 lead, before surrendering the 78-minute first set in a tiebreak. But after winning four straight games to open the second set, Bu soon levelled against Kecmanovic.
Battling some sickness, Kecmanovic also battled an inspired opponent in Bu, who claimed his first ATP-level match win on home soil when the Serbian retired with the local wildcard entrant leading 6-7(6) 6-2 2-1.
Dusan Lajovic and Roman Safiullin also claimed career firsts in Shanghai, with high-profile first-round wins.
World No.54 Lajovic defeated three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-6(7) to record a first win against the Swiss. "I played twice against Stan, maybe when he was in a little bit better form and I knew it was not going to be easy, because he beat me both times."
Lajovic was especially pleased to hold his nerve in tense second-set tiebreak, in which Wawrinka held a set point. "There was a very small margin. In the second set it could have gone any way, and I'm just happy that I stayed composed," Lajovic said.
Safiullin's victory came at the expense of three-time Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Andy Murray. The 26-year-old has struck a rich vein of form in China having recently contested a first ATP final in Chengdu.
Safiullin dominated throughout the one-hour, 40-minute encounter, converting five of his eight break point opportunities against Murray (two in the first set, three in the second) in the 6-3 6-2 win.
Nine years after he last appeared in Shanghai, Thanasi Kokkinakis made an impressive return to a favourite tournament with a straight sets win over Fabio Fognini.
"Honestly I love it. 2014 was the last time I've been here," smiled the 27-year-old, who qualified that year to make his Masters-level debut.
"It's crazy how I haven't been here for so long with injuries and obviously Covid after that, but I love it here. it's a cool city. I think the surface suits me well."
The affinity showed in Kokkinkakis' 6-2 6-4 victory over Fognini, which he completed in an efficient 80 minutes.
"First set I played great," said the world No.71 of an authoritative start featuring two service breaks against the Italian. "I think it's probably one of the best sets of tennis that I've played."
It saw Kokkinakis maintain a perfect record in three matches against Fognini. "Whenever you play someone like that you know what their capabilities are, so I just had to try and bring my best self and that was enough today," he said. Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny claimed a career-first win in Shanghai, advancing in straight sets against Japan's Taro Daniel.
There were first-round wins for Americans Mackenzie McDonald, Brandon Nakashima and Marcos Giron.
Jaume Munar, Yoshihito Nishioka, Fabian Marozsan, Marton Fucsovics, Cristian Garin and Yannick Hoffman and Yu Hsiou Hsu also progressed to Shanghai's second round.
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