Frances Tiafoe in action at the 2023 Australian Open
Chinese qualifier Shang Juncheng squares off against Frances Tiafoe in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old has made it to the record books as he became the first Chinese man to win a match in the main draw at the Australian Open in the Open era.
Juncheng produced a huge upset as he defeated world No. 74 Oscar Otte in the first round in four sets 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5. With 53 winners, Juncheng announced himself in Australia during the match that lasted almost three hours. Juncheng managed to get to the main draw with wins against Fabian Marozsan, Fernando Verdasco, and Zsombor Piros in the qualifiers.
The talented American player had a great time at the 2022 US Open and he reached the semis for the first time at a Grand Slam.
In the first round, Tiafoe, who entered the tournament as the 16th seed, took on Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. Tiafoe ended the match in four sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6). The 24-year-old hit 22 aces during the contest and had a win percentage of 84. Tiafoe won 155 points compared to the 128 won by his opponent. Tiafoe won 56 points while receiving. Last year, Tiafoe was ousted by Taylor Fritz in the second round of the Australian Open. The former will hope for a deep run in the competition this season.
The two players have never met so far in their careers and therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 0-0.
Prediction: Frances Tiafoe to win in straight sets.
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