In the Hong Kong ATP250 tournament, Chinese tennis star Shang Juncheng unleashed his full potential, defeating the 7th seeded Martinez 6-3/6-1 in the second round, securing a spot in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
Shang Juncheng is currently ranked 50th in the world, having previously reached as high as 47th. Last season on the Grand Slam stage, he made his mark, reaching the third round at both the Australian Open and the US Open, while stopping at the second round at Wimbledon. He also triumphed in his first tour title at the Chengdu 250 event, continuously demonstrating his limitless potential with his skills.
His opponent, Martinez, is no slouch either, currently ranked 43rd in the world and having reached as high as 39th. Martinez has also had commendable performances in Grand Slam events, reaching the third round at the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, and stopping at the second round at the 2024 US Open. It's worth noting that in their two previous encounters, both on clay courts, Martinez maintained a perfect record without allowing Shang Juncheng to win a single set. Their most recent match was in Bordeaux in 2024, where Shang Juncheng lost 5-7, 2-6, ending his run in the semifinals.
However, in this Hong Kong tournament, Shang Juncheng was clearly well-prepared. In the first set, although he missed two break points in the second game, he did not lose heart. In the seventh game, Shang Juncheng served two aces and managed to hold serve after saving two break points, leading 4-3. In the crucial eighth game, he capitalized on his opponent's double fault to break serve first, then in the ninth game, he won the first set easily with two aces, scoring four points in a row.
Entering the second set, Shang Juncheng was in high spirits, breaking serve in the first and third games, winning four games in a row to achieve a dream start of 4-0. In the sixth game, facing as many as four break points from his opponent, he remained calm and successfully defended his serve, leading 5-1. Ultimately, he broke serve again in the seventh game to defeat his opponent 6-1.
Throughout the match, which lasted 77 minutes, Shang Juncheng served nine aces, with a first serve percentage of 74% and a first serve point-winning rate of 80%. He converted four out of seven break points and successfully saved all six break points from his opponent. With this victory, he earned 50 points and a $20,375 prize, with his immediate ranking rising to 51st.
Shang Juncheng's victory, which can be described as perfect, announces his strength and potential to the world. His future is promising, and we all look forward to him continuing to create outstanding achievements in upcoming competitions, writing more glorious chapters for Chinese tennis!