Chinese Stars Soar as Shang Defeats Bergs and Zhou Ousts Fifth Seed Norrie in Chengdu
Mpetshi Perricard, Baez, Sonego and Monfils set to commence campaigns as first round continues tomorrow
It was a thrilling night for local fans at the Chengdu Open as both Chinese wild cards in first-round action, Shang Juncheng and Zhou Yi, produced stunning upset victories over higher ranked opponents on the Center Court of the Sichuan International Tennis Centre.
Defending champion Shang Juncheng, sidelined for much of the season with injury, announced his return to form with a commanding 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory over world No.46 Zizou Bergs in two hours and 10 minutes. The 20-year-old Shang, whose ranking has dropped to No.138 from a career-high of No.47 achieved last October, saved six of seven break points and converted three of five to record his first match win since undergoing foot surgery in March.
“It’s never easy coming back from surgery – your body feels completely different, and rehab was really tough. I couldn’t wait to get back on court. If I had to choose the timing for my comeback and to feel fully healthy again, I’d pick this tournament. Chengdu means a lot to me, and I just love being back in a home environment where I feel so supported. I’m really happy to be here and to win my first match,” said Shang.
Earlier in the evening, Center Court fans were treated to a performance of pure magic from 20-year-old world No.304 Zhou Yi, who staged a remarkable comeback to oust fifth seed and world No.34 Cameron Norrie. Zhou rallied from a set down and saved a match point to secure a thrilling 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(2) win in two hours and 44 minutes.
The six-foot-four youngster fired 22 aces and maintained composure in crucial moments, saving six of the seven break points he faced. Most notably, he fended off three consecutive break points in the final game of the second set to force a decider, and then saved a match point at 5-4 in the final set to take the encounter to a tie-break.
The win represents a career milestone for Zhou—his first victory against a Top 50 opponent, his first ATP Tour win of the season, and only the third ATP Tour-level main draw win of his career.
“To be honest, I was very nervous (at those critical moments). But I knew I had improved a lot throughout the year, and I could feel the support from my team and the fans. Even when facing break points, deep down a part of me was telling me I wasn’t going to lose right now – I believed I could get through it and try to beat him. This victory shows that our work is paying off, and even though my ranking is low, we are a high-level team. We want to keep improving, and hopefully we can win again,” said Zhou after the match.
In other first round matches, American Marcos Giron overcame a spirited challenge from compatriot Ethan Quinn, winning 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 30 minutes. The 32-year-old fired nine aces, saved the only break point he faced in the tenth game of the first set, and converted two of four break opportunities to secure victory against the 21-year-old.
Aussie Christopher O’Connell, making his third consecutive appearance in Chengdu, highlighted by a quarterfinal run in 2023, also made a winning start, reversing a one set deficit to record a 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 win over Frenchman Quentin Halys in two hours and 11 minutes.
Tomorrow, the remaining eight first-round singles matches will be contested across three courts, with sixth to eighth seeds commencing their campaigns. Sixth seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, one of three French players in action, will face Austria’s Filip Misolic, the last direct acceptance in the main draw. Although this will be their first Tour-level meeting, 22-year-old Misolic previously defeated the world No.36 at the 2023 Mauthausen Challenger.
Seventh seed Sebastian Baez will take on qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, who fought back from a set down to defeat Bernard Tomic 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 today to secure his place in the main draw. Meanwhile, eighth seed Lorenzo Sonego faces Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo, aiming to improve on his first-round exit from last year.
Hong Kong wild card Coleman Wong will also make his Chengdu Open debut, meeting Japan’s Taro Daniel. The pair have clashed twice on the Challenger circuit, with 21-year-old Wong winning their first encounter at Playford in 2023, and Daniel levelling the head-to-head in Taipei 2 last year.
The tournament’s oldest entry, 39-year-old Gael Monfils, will close tomorrow’s action on Centre Court against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko. Monfils returns to Chengdu for the first time since 2018, when he exited in the first round, and will be seeking his maiden win against Shevchenko, who defeated him at their only previous meeting at the 2023 Phoenix Challenger.
Ticket sales for the 2025 Chengdu Open have begun, with prices ranging from RMB 30 for qualifying rounds to RMB 600 for the finals. Tickets will be available via the Damai App as well as the WeChat and Alipay Mini Programs.
The tournament is organised by the Chinese Tennis Association and Chengdu Municipal Government, co-organised by the Chengdu Sports Bureau, Shuangliu District Government, the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Group, promoted by IMG and the Sichuan Investment International Tennis Centre Development Co., Ltd, and operated by the Chengdu Sports Events Industry Development Co., Ltd.
The Chengdu Open is also very proud to have the support of our distinguished partners, including Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank, CSWADI Photon Technology Co., People’s Insurance Company of China, Bank of Chengdu, Li-Ning, the ATP Tour’s Premier Partner Emirates, Yonex, Jingdong Logistics, Gran Melia Chengdu, Lynk & Co, Damai, Yi-Mian, COFCO Coca-Cola, Chengdu Radio and Television, Youku Sports, Tencent Sports, Migu and Bilibili.
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