Tennis: Cilic crowns comeback – Shang also surprises Musetti

For Marin Cilic (left) and Juncheng Shang it was not a normal Tuesday.
IMAGO/NurPhoto

Marin Cilic has perfectly rounded off his comeback on the ATP Tour. In the non-stop final of the tournament in Hangzhou, the 35-year-old, equipped with a wildcard, won the final against local hero Zhizhen Zhang 7:6 (7:5), 7:6 (7:5).

The Croatian had not appeared on the tour since February 12th due to a knee injury. At the end of August he returned to action in two Challenger tournaments in Mallorca and Cassis (France), but did not make it past the quarter-finals in either of them.

The 2014 US Open winner started as number 777 in the world rankings thanks to a wildcard from the Chinese metropolis – and took his first tournament victory since 2021. In the quarterfinals, Cilic had fended off two match points against the Japanese Yasutaka Uchiyama.

With his victory, the 35-year-old became the lowest-ranked tournament winner in ATP history. “After a difficult time and two operations, this is an incredible feeling. I am proud and I would like to thank my family, my boys, my wife – and everyone who supported me during this difficult time,” said the visibly moved Croatian at the awards ceremony after his 21st title on the tour.

In addition to the title, Cilic, who will celebrate his 36th birthday on Saturday, will also make a huge leap in the world rankings, as from Monday the strong serving giant will already be ranked 212th.

Hanfmann conqueror Shang writes history

This Tuesday, the veteran spoiled a Chinese tennis holiday to some extent. At the same time, Juncheng Shang surprisingly won the final of the tournament in Chengdu, almost 2,000 kilometers east of Hangzhou, against the number 1 seed Lorenzo Musetti 7:6 (7:4), 6:1.

Shang had eliminated the German Yannick Hanfmann in the semifinals and once again impressed with risky, aggressive forehand shots in the corners. This was clearly evident in the break to 6:5 in the first set, when the 19-year-old top talent patiently prepared the rally against the passive Musetti and then finished it off with a winning shot on the line.

Shang will climb steeply from his world ranking of 55. At the same time, he will be the first tournament winner on the ATP Tour to be born in 2005 or later.

Until this Tuesday, no Chinese had ever reached a final on the tour during the Open Era (since 1968): Yibing Wu at the 2023 Dallas Open (6:7, 7:6, 7:6 against John Isner).