It will be a huge occasion for Chinese tennis on Tuesday, when Jerry Shang and Zhizhen Zhang play for titles in front of the home crowd. Shang faces top seed Lorenzo Musetti in Chengdu, while Zhang battles Marin Cilic in Hangzhou.
Chengdu Open: (1) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Jerry Shang
Unseeded, Shang has made a run all the way to the Chengdu final. But it isn’t surprising in the least. Given his form and the fact that he is playing at home in China, the 19-year-old was one of the title favorites heading into this ATP 250 tournament. He is projected to reach at least No. 53 when the next rankings come out thanks in part to a semifinal showing in Atlanta, a third-round performance at the U.S. Open, and now this effort in Chengdu. Shang is into his first ATP championship match after defeating Kei Nishikori, Roman Safiullin, Alexander Bublik, and Yannick Hanfmann.
Up next for the left-hander on Tuesday is Musetti, who was also the favorite to reach the final from his respective half of the bracket. The top-seeded Italian has been awesome this season, which includes a semifinal result at Wimbledon and a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
Musetti has remained hot with Chengdu victories over Christopher O’Connell, Adrian Mannarino, and Alibek Kachmazov. The world No. 19’s draw could not have been easier through three matches, but that changes in a big way with Shang on the other side of the net. Shang has been the best player all week long and has a great chance to triumph in front of the home crowd.
Pick: Shang in 3
Hangzhou Open: (WC) Marin Cilic vs. Zhizhen Zhang
Only one Chinese man has won an ATP title–Yibing Wu last year on the indoor hard courts of Dallas. The number could triple from one to three on Tuesday, and both Shang and Zhang can do it at home. Zhang’s first-ever final appearance comes in Hangzhou, where he has knocked off Denis Yevseyev, Mattia Bellucci, Roberto Carballes Baena, and Bu Yunchaokete.
Standing in the world No. 43’s way of some history is a well-known but extremely surprising opponent. Cilic is a Grand Slam champion (2014 U.S. Open), but he is 35 years old now and has barely played tennis over the past couple of seasons due to knee problems.
From completely out of nowhere, a resurgent Cilic is into the final of his first ATP event since February and his fourth since last July. It has come at the expense of Zachary Svajda, Yoshihito Nishioka, Yasutaka Uchiyama, and Brandon Nakashima. At the end of a long week, Zhang is the more reliable player from a physical standpoint and–like Shang–should benefit from significant home-court advantage.
Pick: Zhang in 3
