Riaan 
CNN
–
Shang Juncheng oneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa ubudala wenza I-Australian Open umlando ngokuba indoda yokuqala yaseShayina ukuwina umdlalo kuwo I-Melbourne Park kwe Vula i-Era.
Lo mdlalo wokuhlunga uthole iwini engu-6-2 6-4 6-7(2) 7-5 bedlala no-Oscar Otte womhlaba ongunombolo-74 kulokho okube ukunqoba okunethezekile komusha. U-Shang wonge kabili amaphuzu ekhefu kwisethi yokuqala futhi udlulele phambili emdlalweni, enqoba kumasethi amane.
“Ngingasho ngandlela thize, ngimangele kancane ukuthi ifike ngokushesha,” kusho uShang ngemuva komdlalo.
“Kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo, ngicabanga ukuthi wumsebenzi onzima ovela eqenjini lami nami uqobo obe nomphumela. Akukho okunye kodwa ngijabulile ngokulandelayo.”
UShang uhlanganiswe emdlalweni wakhe njengoba i-lefty ilahle amaphuzu amabili emdlalweni wesine, kodwa walulama ukuze abone umdlalo ngekhefu lesine lomdlalo.
Ngemuva kokulahla isethi eyodwa kuphela emidlalweni yakhe emithathu yokuhlunga, u-Shang ungenele lo mqhudelwano njengomdlali omncane kunabo bonke kulo mqhudelwano futhi ungumpetha. owokuqala oneminyaka engu-17 ukuwina umdlalo wabantu abangabodwana ku-slam enkulu kusukela emhlabeni wamanje onguNombolo 1 uCarlos Alcaraz ngo-2021.
“Ngemuva kokuzwa lokhu, ngicabanga ukuthi kuwumsebenzi omkhulu impela,” kusho uShang. “Ungumdlali ongcono kakhulu emhlabeni njengamanje. Ukubuka nje edlala enkundleni kuyangikhuthaza kakhulu, kuyabakhuthaza abadlali abancane. Ngakho ukwenza lokhu, kubaluleke kakhulu kimina.”
UShang, uyise wayengumdlali webhola lezinyawo okhokhelwayo futhi umama wakhe engumdlali wethenisi womhlaba ongumpetha womhlaba, ujoyine ozakwabo uZhang Zhizhen noWu Yibing emdwedweni omkhulu. Yilokhu okokuqala ku-Open Era ukuthi amadoda amathathu aseShayina adlale ku-slam enkulu.
“Laba bafana ababili, bayangikhuthaza impela,” kusho uShang kuZhang noWu.
“Sebehlale isikhathi eside kunami futhi banolwazi oluningi kunami. Ngethemba ukuthi ngizobabuka emqhudelwaneni omkhulu.”
Ngemva kokunqoba kwakhe, u-Shang weqa izindawo ezingu-50 ezingeni lomhlaba wafinyelela kunombolo-144 yomsebenzi.
Manje usebhekene noFrancis Tiafoe waseMelika emzuliswaneni wesibili ohlule uDaniel Altmaier waseGermany ngamasethi amane. U-Tiafoe osendaweni yesi-16 uzoba elinye igxathu ku-Shang, kodwa lo mdlali oneminyaka engu-17 ubudala uzozethemba njengoba eshaye amadoda amane akleliswe phezulu kunaye kweyokuhlunga kanye nomzuliswano wokuqala.
