Atlanta Open 2024: Chinese qualifier Shang beats Purcell in quarterfinals, faces Thompson for place in final

Chinese teenage tennis qualifier Shang Juncheng overcame two rain delays to reach the semifinals of the ATP Atlanta Open on Friday by beating Australia’s Max Purcell 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

The 19-year-old left-handed pitcher from Beijing managed to ignore the rain showers at the end of each set to reach the semi-finals against fourth-seeded Australian Jordan Thompson on Saturday. Thompson defeated fifth-seeded Spanish wildcard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3.

Shang won the match against the eighth-seeded Australian after two hours and one minute with a winning serve in the first American hardcourt event on the road to the US Open, which starts on August 26.

“Difficult conditions. It rained twice, especially the first time in the tiebreak was crucial,” Shang said. “I kept my mindset, played really good tennis. Just a super good match and happy to get through.”

READ ALSO: Paris 2024 Olympics: Nadal trains for doubles opener despite injury concerns

Shang, who defeated top-seeded American Ben Shelton in the round of 16, reached his second career ATP semi-final, having lost the first to Russian Andrey Rublev in Hong Kong earlier this year.

“It wasn’t easy to get through the qualifiers and the first two rounds were challenging, really tough,” Shang said. “But tomorrow is the semi-finals. You don’t get that every week. I’m just happy to be here on the weekend.”

The other semi-final on Saturday features Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka and the eventual winner, Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci and Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

Nishioka defeated American third seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 in 84 minutes. Nishioka is chasing his third career ATP title after the 2018 Shenzhen Open and the 2022 Korea Open in Seoul.

Thompson, a 30-year-old from Sydney, won his first ATP title in February in Los Cabos by beating Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final.