Shang fights for 4h and advances in Madrid, Shapovalov follows

Madrid (Spain) – In the game that closed this Wednesday’s program at the Masters 1000 in Madrid, the 19-year-old Chinese guest Juncheng Shang fought for 4 hours to beat the Frenchman Corentin Moutet, 88th in the ranking, with splits of 6/7 (9-7), 6/2 and 7/6 (12-10). Shang didn’t need to save any match points, but only managed to close out the match on his sixth opportunity.

“It might be the longest match I’ve ever played in my life,” said Shang, who scored his third career Masters 1000 victory. And with the result, he is already approaching an unprecedented arrival in the top 100. “Playing on clay is physically demanding, even more so against an incredible player like Corentin. The level was insane. Even if I had lost, I wouldn’t regret it. It was almost the perfect game for me.”

In addition to the long duration and, consequently, the advanced time, the game ended around midnight Spanish time, Shang also had to deal with Moutet’s unpredictability. The Frenchman is known for making some effective plays, risking underhand serves and often interacting with the fans during his matches.

The first half was defined only in the tiebreak, after a break for each side, and Moutet needed nine set-points, in addition to saving another three. Shang won the second set with two breaks, escaping the three break-points he faced. In the third, the Chinese opened 3/0, but conceded the draw and the decision was left for another tiebreak.

And despite all the changes in the opponent’s mood, Shang remained firm in the match, even after several missed opportunities. In a tiebreak with ups and downs, and at one point Moutet even lost his racket on the court, the Chinese was ahead on the scoreboard in the tiebreaker the entire time and ended the game smiling.

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Shang’s opponent in the second round will be Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 27th in the rankings. The only previous duel between them was won by Fokina, at the Masters 1000 in Miami. And whoever passes could face the Russian Andrey Rublev, number 8 in the world, or the Argentinian from the quali Facundo Bagnis.

Shapovalov wins in three sets on debut

In another three-set game in the round, Canadian Denis Shapovalov beat Argentine Facundo Diaz Acosta, 47th in the rankings, by 6/4, 3/6 and 6/3 in 1h54 of the match. Former top 10, Shapovalov currently appears in 132nd place in the rankings, after suffering a serious knee injury last year, which kept him out of competition for the entire second half of the year.

Shapovalov, who was already a semi-finalist in Madrid in 2018, will face another Argentine. His next rival is 27th in the ranking Tomas Etcheverry, in an unprecedented clash on the circuit. The winner could face German Alexander Zverev or Croatian Borna Coric.

Botic takes down Eubanks and faces Humbert

Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked 115th, defeated North American Christopher Eubanks, ranked 44th, with double 6/3. He faces Frenchman Ugo Humbert, number 14 in the world. Humbert won the two previous duels at ATP level, one of them this year in Miami.

The Slovak Lukas Klein, 120th in the ranking and coming from quali, beat the 21-year-old Spanish Pablo Llamas Ruiz, 146th placed, by 6/1, 4/6 and 7/6 (7-4). Klein challenges the American Tommy Paul, 16th in the world, in an unprecedented confrontation on the circuit.