Two weeks, two wins for Shang Juncheng towards Ben Shelton.
In a battle of #NextGenATP stars, 18-year-old Shang defeated dwelling favorite Shelton 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday to achieve the third spherical of the Mubadala Citi DC Open.
“I’m positively very completely satisfied proper now,” Shang instructed ATPTour.com. “Ben is just not a straightforward participant to beat. I feel I’ve bought a recreation that type of fits me to taking part in him.”
Final week, Shang eradicated Shelton 6-4, 6-4 on the Atlanta Open. One week later, he broke his opponent’s serve 5 instances from 9 possibilities to triumph in three units after one hour and 42 minutes.
“I’ve bought an important return I feel and previously two weeks, I have been returning very well. So I feel that was the important thing right this moment, to interrupt a number of service video games from him,” Shang stated. “Total, I am taking part in very assured and I am simply very affected person on courtroom and combating for every level.”
It was the Chinese language teen’s fourth win in as many days in Washington, the place he gained two qualifying rounds over the weekend earlier than ousting Emilio Gomez within the first spherical on Monday.
The timing for Shang’s success is sweet, as a result of subsequent Monday he’ll drop 80 Pepperstone ATP Rankings factors he earned by successful the Lexington ATP Challenger Tour occasion final 12 months. He’s at a career-high World No. 149. Shang will subsequent play second seed Frances Tiafoe or Aslan Karatsev.
In different motion, fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov earned his place within the third spherical with a 7-6(6), 6-2 victory over Mackenzie McDonald. The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion is competing in Washington for the eighth time and in 2013 superior to the quarter-finals.
Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis additionally moved on with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win towards Japan’s Taro Daniel. One other Japanese participant, fortunate loser Sho Shimabukuro, claimed his first ATP Tour victory with a 6-4, 6-3 overcome South African Lloyd Harris.
