Juncheng Shang began his title defense at China’s Chengdu Open on Wednesday with his first win since undergoing foot surgery in March.
A year after becoming the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title on home soil, Shang saved six of seven break points and held off Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. Shang will face No. 4 seed Brandon Nakashima next.
In other first-round action at the ATP 250 event, China’s Yi Zhou rallied for a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (2) upset of No. 5 seed Cameron Norrie of Great Britain. Australia’s Christopher O’Connell outlasted France’s Quentin Halys 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4 and Marcos Giron defeated fellow American Ethan Quinn 7-5, 6-4.
Hangzhou Open
Seventh-seeded Learner Tien saved nine of 13 break points and overcame a 3-1 deficit in the deciding set for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win against Argentina’s Mariano Navone in China.
The 19-year-old American’s victory in two hours and 23 minutes set up a second-round meeting with either Italy’s Giulio Zeppieri or China’s Fajing Sun.
China’s Wu Yibing upended sixth-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 in two hours, 51 minutes in the day’s only other main-draw match.
–Field Level Media
