BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Buyunchaokete came back to defeat Shang Juncheng 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4 in a Chinese derby during the men's singles first round at the 2024 China Open on Friday.
Shang, fresh off his first ATP Tour championship win at the Chengdu Open three days ago, secured the opening set in a tiebreaker but was forced into a deciding set by his compatriot Buyunchaokete, who was also in top form after reaching his first ATP Tour semifinal in Hangzhou earlier this week.
Buyunchaokete came out strong in the third set, breaking Shang's serve in the very first game. Although Shang rallied to level the score at 4-4, Buyunchaokete withstood his attempts at a comeback, hitting an ace to regain the lead. The 22-year-old ultimately closed out the match with a 6-4 final set after a two-and-a-half-hour battle, advancing to the next round.
The victory marks Buyunchaokete's first ATP 500 win and his fifth overall victory on the tour. ■
