Hong Kong Tennis Open: Frances Tiafoe expects strong support for China’s Shang Juncheng in quarter-final
- Tiafoe says the Victoria Park spectators, who have given Shang vocal backing, ‘should be behind him, and I hope they are’
- ‘Total respect to him for beating high-calibre players, and for the way he has done it,’ the American says of the teenager’s progress
Frances Tiafoe said he had “total respect” for Shang Juncheng, after the American No 3 seed beat Miomir Kecmanovic to set up an intriguing Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open quarter-final with the latest rising star of Chinese tennis.
American Tiafoe made light of his nine-week break from competitive action, winning 6-3, 7-6 against the Serb on Wednesday evening in a match that featured only one break of serve.
The 25-year-old was on court directly after Shang’s dramatic 3½-hour, three-set victory over Botic van de Zandschulp, and is now poised for a battle with a player he knocked out of the Australian Open 12 months ago.
“Shout out to Jerry, total respect to him for beating high-calibre players, and for the way he has done it,” Tiafoe said, referring to Shang by his nickname.
“It is not easy to win these matches against physical guys at 18 years old. We are going to have a good match, I am going to make him run and push him.
“I like the kid a lot, and we get along really well. I always tell him, ‘Let me get these wins now, so when you are winning grand slams, I can say I beat you.’”