Shimabukuro Serves Up a Storm: Rising Star Reaches Challenger Tournament Finals

Masaru Shimabukuro Advances to Second Challenger Tournament Final of the Season

Image provided by tennis365.net The men’s tennis Road to the Rolex Shanghai Masters (China/Shanghai, Hard, ATP Challenger) held its singles semi-finals on the 7th. World ranking 239th Masaru Shimabukuro defeated fourth seed Wong Coleman of Hong Kong in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), to advance to his second Challenger tournament final of the season.

The 27-year-old Shimabukuro defeated world No. 258 Bai Yang (China) in the first round, second seed T. Atmane (France) in the second round, and D. Sbručina (Czech Republic), ranked 312th in the quarterfinals, to reach the semi-finals of this tournament.

In the semifinals, Shimabukuro won 74 percent of points on his first serve, including 12 aces, and broke Wong just once, then broke him three times in the return game to win in one hour and 34 minutes.

Shimabukuro was the runner-up at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger (Winnipeg, Canada, Hard, ATP Challenger) in July this year. In the final, where his first Challenger tournament victory of the season is at stake, he will face 9th seed House Yu-Hsiu (Taiwan). House advanced to the semi-finals by defeating world No. 584 N. Gombos (Slovakia) in straight sets.

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