Hong Kong Open 2024: Frances Tiafoe vs Juncheng Shang preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (3) Frances Tiafoe vs Juncheng Shang

Date: January 5, 2024

Tournament: Hong Kong Open 2024

Round: Quarterfinal

Venue: Victoria Tennis Park Stadium, Hong Kong, China

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Outdoor hard

Prize money: $661,585

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN

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Frances Tiafoe vs Juncheng Shang preview

Frances Tiafoe at the 2023 Erste Bank Open.

Third seed Frances Tiafoe will take on Juncheng Shang in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Hong Kong Open on Friday.

Following a first-round bye, Tiafoe faced Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round. The first set was quite straightforward, with the American not looking back after racing to a 4-1 lead.

Kecmanovic was unable to close the gap as Tiafoe claimed the opener with ease. The second set was more competitive, with the American saving three set points to force a tie-break. He then prevailed in the tie-break to score a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory.

Shang saved a couple of match points to send seventh seed Laslo Djere packing in the first round. He was up against Botic van de Zandschulp for a place in the last eight.

Shang held a couple of set points on his opponent's serve at 5-4 in the first set but failed to capitalize on them. It proved to be costly as van de Zandschulp gained the upper hand in the tie-break later on to capture the set.

Shang then saved a match point at 6-5 on his serve in the second set and held his nerve to pip van de Zandschulp in the tie-break as well. The third set was a close affair too, but the teenager came out on top in yet another tie-break to register a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) comeback win.

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Frances Tiafoe vs Juncheng Shang head-to-head

Tiafoe leads Shang 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2023 Citi Open in straight sets.

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Frances Tiafoe vs Juncheng Shang odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Frances Tiafoe	-375	+1.5 (-1100)	Over 21.5 (-135)
Juncheng Shang	+270	-1.5 (+500)	Under 21.5 (-105)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

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Frances Tiafoe vs Juncheng Shang prediction

Juncheng Shang at the 2023 China Open.

Shang saved a match point in each of his two wins here and both were lengthy affairs. He seems to have worked on his fitness a lot in the off-season, as he used to fade away in such long matches last season. The teenager seems primed for a breakthrough this year after a strong start.

Tiafoe made a winning start to his year as well. His win over Kecmanovic was rather routine, though the second set was a bit too close for comfort. He hung in the rallies quite well and imposed himself from the baseline.

Tiafoe's serving numbers were pretty good too as he hit eight aces and won 88% of his points on first serve. This could prove to be a distinguishing factor in his match against Shang. The teenager has a reliable serve, but for now, it doesn't measure up to the American's.

Shang has shown a lot of improvement compared to last season and has the tools to challenge Tiafoe, but could come up short in the end.

Pick: Frances Tiafoe to win in three sets.