#NextGenATP Shang sinks Nishikori on home soil in Chengdu

#NextGenATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng delivered in front of a lively home crowd on Thursday at the Chengdu Open, where he moved past former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4 in a high-quality first-round match.

Shang is one of the most exciting prospects on the ATP Tour and the 19-year-old showed why against the 34-year-old Nishikori. He hit cleanly off both wings and dug deep when serving for the match in the second set, fending off two break points before eventually advancing to level the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

Shang was full of praise for Nishikori after his win.

"His returns are unbelievable, some of the best in the world," Shang said. "His game is taking the ball early. He doesn't give you much time and he can defend anything that is coming at him. All the players are tricky but it is tough to play him because he moves in the same way as I do. It was a very good match and he is a really good guy and we get along well off the court."

Shang shines in Chengdu 🪩

The 19-year-old continues to impress as he rallies past Nishikori 6-4 6-4!@ChengduOpen | #ChengduOpen pic.twitter.com/nNb1rapOss

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 19, 2024

Shang has now earned 20 tour-level wins in a season for the first time, highlighted by semi-final runs in Hong Kong and Atlanta. The lefty will hope to perform well on home soil during the Asian swing in an aim to further cement his chances of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, due to take place from 18-22 December. Shang is currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

"The goal for Asia is to be healthy and happy," said Shang, who has won his past seven first-round matches. "I don't get to play at home much. The fans don't get to watch the Chinese players much, so it is to have fun."

Nishikori was making his debut in Chengdu. The 12-time tour-level titlist struck the ball well against Shang but struggled physically at times, receiving treatment on his left leg and right elbow.

Australian Alexsandar Vukic saved one match point to earn a hard-fought 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-4 win against former World No. 12 Borna Coric at the ATP 250.

Vukic, who leads Coric 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, will aim to reach the quarter-finals at a tour-level hard-court event for the first time this season when he takes on Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the second round.

Last year’s finalist Roman Safiullin made a winning start against Fabio Fognini, defeating the Italian 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Safiullin, who did not drop a set en route to the final last year before losing to Alexander Zverev, fired 27 winners, including 12 aces according to Infosys ATP Stats to advance after two hours and nine minutes. He will meet Shang in the second round.

Fifth seed Adrian Mannarino earned a first-round win, moving past countryman Terence Atmane 6-7(9), 6-1, 6-3. Mannarino won three tour-level titles last year but is still searching for his first crown in 2024.

Chinese wild card Zhou Yi earned his first ATP Tour win after Chun-Hsin Tseng was forced to retire in the third set. Zhou led 2-6, 6-1, 3-1 when Tseng stopped. The No. 531 player in the PIF ATP Rankings meets Mannarino in the second round.

In other action, qualifier Alibek Kachmazov advanced, defeating American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 7-6(7), while Yannick Hanfmann beat Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki 6-4, 7-6(4). Christopher O'Connell eliminated Pavel Kotov 6-4, 7-5.

Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez set a clash with second seed Alexander Bublik after beating Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-4, 7-5.