Teenager Shang Juncheng defeated Italy's Olympic bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 in the Chengdu Open final on Sept 24 to become the second Chinese player to win an ATP title.
It marks a first ATP Tour title for Shang, who is China's No. 2 men's tennis player and ranked 52nd in the world. The 19-year-old former junior world No. 1 is also the youngest ATP winner this season.
He said: "I'm really delighted to have lifted the trophy here in front of my home crowd.
"While I felt some pressure to perform, the crowd really encouraged and supported me to play my best tennis throughout the week. It's been amazing."
Li Na remains China's most successful singles player with Grand Slam triumphs at the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014, while there are several women hoping to emulate her, including Australia Open runner-up and Paris Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen.
But success on the men's side has largely eluded the nation, as Wu Yibing became the first Chinese player to capture an ATP trophy when he won the Dallas Open in 2023.
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin September 26, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin September 26, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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