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He's not quite there yet, but Shang Juncheng is starting to look like a history-making prodigy again.
Having his trademark agility and precision back at his disposal certainly made the difference on Sunday at the ATP1000 Masters tournament in Montreal, where Shang claimed his first ATP Tour-level win in over six months after being sidelined by a long injury layoff.
Shang's straight-sets upset of 66th-ranked Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay at the National Bank Open secured his first main-draw win on the men's pro circuit since his opening-round victory at the Australian Open in January, serving up a much-needed confidence boost for his comeback from a nagging foot injury.
It's been the second year in a row that the 21-year-old Shang has been sidelined for the first half of the season due to a number of fitness issues that have slowed down his meteoric career rise.
The resilient young talent — creator of many "youngest-ever" records for Chinese men's tennis — has taken pride in overcoming the grueling rehab again, although admitting he's far from showing his top form yet.
"Honestly, I felt a lot of things were not going so well, even yesterday. I had issues with my baseline strokes, volleys and returns in training," Shang said after ousting Vallejo 6-3,6-3 in 82 minutes, before a heavy downpour put Sunday's other matches at the IGA Stadium on hold.
"My dad and my coach told me to just focus on every single shot and to not overthink things. They told me 'it's totally normal if your opponent plays better than you, because they've been playing all year long, while you've just come back'.
"Rehab is an incredibly tedious process. I hope no young player ever has to go through this ordeal, but if they do, (they should) just treat it with patience and persistence, and stick to what's needed (to recover).
"I couldn't figure this out at first, but I've gradually come to terms with the setbacks, which are part of the job," said Shang, who reached his career-high ranking of No 47 in October 2024 after winning his first ATP Tour title in Chengdu.
Shang will need to step up his game quickly, as the challenge gets tougher with a round-of-64 match against Russian former World No 5 Andrey Rublev on Tuesday.
Rublev beat Shang in their only previous meeting, the semifinals of an ATP250 tournament in Hong Kong in 2024.
Having maintained a friendly relationship with the Russian power-hitter, Shang said he will cherish the opportunity to test himself physically and mentally against the 10th seed in Montreal.
"It will be a tough match, for sure, because his ability is now is well above mine," said a candid Shang, who, at world No 281 this week, entered the Montreal main draw via protected ranking.
"This will be another chance to learn from a top-15-caliber opponent. I've played many of them, and I just want to do my best this time and, win or lose, just enjoy the match."
With power never being his strength, Shang leans on his quick legs, resilient defense and tactical variety to outwit size and force.
His best form in 2024 saw him become the youngest Chinese man ever to register a main-draw win at the ATP1000 level with victory over Jordan Thompson at Indian Wells, California, in March, before becoming the youngest Chinese man to break into the top 100 in May that year.
On Sunday, relying on his fast movement, combined with pinpoint accuracy and long rallies, Shang dispatched Vallejo using his familiar winning formula, evoking fond memories of the teen star in his prime.
More drills are needed, though, as Shang, who's racked up six career wins at the Masters level, is aiming for a strong resurgence, as the season heads into its final stretch with a number of Chinese players struggling with poor form of late.
"I came here with confidence built through training, but match intensity is definitely a different story," Shang said.
"I've made some progress today, but I can't guarantee I'll be in perfect form for the next match.
"No matter the result of my next game, I want to maintain a positive attitude."
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