Shang Juncheng Claims Breakthrough Win on Home Soil

In the humid night air of Qizhong Forest Sports City, China’s Shang Juncheng stepped into the spotlight against Karen Khachanov, the weight of home expectations pressing down like the summer haze. The 20-year-old had endured a season of near-misses on the Asian hard-court swing, but here he channeled that frustration into focus, securing a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory that marked his first triumph over a Top 10 opponent in the PIF ATP Rankings. This upset propelled him to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time, the crowd’s cheers echoing his rising pulse as he advanced with unyielding resolve.

Trading blows in a tense opener

The first set unfolded as a baseline duel, with both players exchanging breaks twice in a rhythm that tested endurance on the medium-fast hard courts. Khachanov’s flat groundstrokes pushed Shang back, demanding quick adjustments to stretch the court with crosscourt forehands and inside-out backhands that kept the Russian off balance. Shang converted all three break-point opportunities, per ATP Stats, his returns slicing low to disrupt the taller player’s footing, ultimately stealing the tiebreak through sharper angles and a crucial one–two serve-forehand combination.

Family in the stands, including his grandmother, fueled his fight, their presence a quiet anchor amid the swelling home support. He entered the match aiming to entertain rather than overanalyze, a mindset that preserved his looseness even after a shaky start.

Riding aggression to decisive surge

From 3-3 in the second set, Shang shifted gears, unleashing a flurry of winners that included inside-in forehands clipping the lines and down-the-line backhands piercing the defense. This tactical acceleration exploited the court’s skid, favoring his flatter strokes over Khachanov’s higher arcs, as he claimed the final three games and rattled off the last six points without reply. The break at 3-3 came on a well-timed underspin approach that drew an error, showcasing his growing net instincts honed through a demanding pro circuit.

Shang’s composure under the lights highlighted his evolution, turning fleeting chances into dominance against a foe who thrives in grinds. He reflected on the mental edge that sealed it, emphasizing instinct over deliberation to avoid tightening up in key moments.

Etching a new chapter for Chinese tennis

This victory positions Shang as the youngest of three Chinese players to reach the Shanghai third round since 2023, trailing only Zhang Zhizhen’s run that year and Wu Yibing‘s in 2024. He becomes the second to defeat a Top 10 player on home soil, following Buyunchaokete‘s upset of Andrey Rublev in Beijing last year. The milestone eases the season’s inconsistencies, where close defeats had built quiet tension, now released in a performance that blends tactical depth with joyful execution.

“I think overall just, like I said, didn’t think too much. Sometimes the winner comes without thinking,” he added. “If you think too much, you might be tight at that moment, I thought, ‘OK, time to work, time to get it done.' Against players like Karen, you might only have one chance to close it out. If I don’t, it might be the match, it might be a grind in the third set, you never know. But I’m glad that I kept the focus. And at the end it went smoothly.”

As the third round looms, Shang carries this momentum forward, his game sharpened for potential clashes with seeds, signaling deeper inroads for Chinese talent on the hard-court stage where every point pulses with possibility.