Teen Sensation Shang Juncheng Stuns in Chengdu Open Triumph

Teenager Shang Juncheng defeated Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the Chengdu Open final, making him the second Chinese player to claim an ATP title. This marks his first ATP Tour win and strengthens his bid for the Next Gen ATP Finals. Marin Cilic also made history in the Hangzhou Open.

Teenager Shang Juncheng sensationally defeated Italy's Olympic bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(4) 6-1 in the Chengdu Open final on Tuesday, becoming the second Chinese player to win an ATP title.

This victory marks a significant milestone for Shang, who is China's number two and ranked 55th globally. At just 19, the former juniors number one is the youngest ATP winner this season. Li Na remains China's most successful singles player with Grand Slam victories in the French Open (2011) and Australian Open (2014), inspiring several women, including Paris Olympics gold medallist Zheng Qinwen, to follow in her footsteps.

While Chinese men have struggled to achieve similar success, Wu Yibing broke through with an ATP trophy at the Dallas Open last year. Shang's triumph bolsters his efforts to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, set to take place in Saudi Arabia in November-December, featuring the ATP Tour's top players aged 20 and under.

In other tennis news, Croat wild card Marin Cilic made headlines at the Hangzhou Open, becoming the lowest-ranked champion in ATP Tour history on Tuesday. Cilic, who will turn 36 on Saturday, secured his first tour-level title since 2021 with a 7-6(5) 7-6(5) victory over China's number one and sixth seed Zhang Zhizhen, who was contesting his first tour-level final.

Cilic's win, remarkable given his recent knee injury, propelled him from 777th to 212th in the ATP rankings. The tournament was the 21st title of Cilic's career, with the Hangzhou Open replacing the Zhuhai Championships this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)