Chinese tennis players make history with home run

Zheng Qinwen struggles during a training session in Beijing on Sunday Photo: VCG

China’s Zheng Qinwen will begin her China Open campaign by facing a qualifier in the second round, according to the tournament’s women’s singles draw held on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Chinese men’s singles players are making history at national ATP tournaments, with the events expected to fuel tennis enthusiasm across the country during the National Day holidays of the hosts.

Zhang Zhizhen beat compatriot Bu Yunchaokete 7-6(3), 6-4 on Monday night to reach his first Chinese semi-final at an ATP Tour event at the 2024 ATP Hangzhou Open in east China’s Zhejiang Province. Zhang will face Croatian veteran Marin Cilic in the final on Tuesday.

Rising star Shang Juncheng secured a place in the finals of the Chengdu Open in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province by defeating Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in three sets.

This saw him advance to his first ATP semifinal, beating Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin 6–4, 6–2.

Zhang, the world number 43 and China’s best male tennis player, defeated Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

This historic moment highlights the rapid rise of Chinese men’s tennis. Zhang, Bu and Shang broke into the ATP top 100 in the same week, marking a new milestone for Chinese men’s tennis.

Beijing-based sports commentator Liu Yu told the Global Times on Monday that competing on home soil may have provided extra motivation for the Chinese players.

He said with more up-and-coming Chinese talent appearing in international events, it would inspire a new generation of young players and increase participation in tennis across the country.

The Olympic gold medallist is seeded fifth at the China Open after Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina withdrew, while Zheng came through the first round unseeded and is expected to go further than her first-round exit in 2023.

She is in the same half as Aryna Sabalenka, who beat her to win the Australian Open title in January.

The 21-year-old is aiming to collect the maximum number of points to qualify for the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia from November 2-9, where the world’s top eight players in singles and doubles will compete for the year-end title.

The China Open, held in Beijing from Wednesday to Oct. 6, highlighted the emergence of local talent by giving eight wild cards to Chinese players in the women’s singles.

This year’s tournament saw the most Chinese singles players ever compete, reflecting the country’s rapid rise on the global tennis stage.

In the women’s doubles, there will again be a cross-necked pair.

Wang Xinyu and Hsieh Su-wei, who won the French Open in 2023 and reached the semi-finals of the US Open, will continue their strong partnership after earning a wild card spot in the main draw.

Wang will also compete in the singles event at the China Open.

The victory at Roland Garros was Hsieh’s fifth Grand Slam doubles title. They showcased their complementary styles, with Wang delivering excellent strokes from the baseline and Hsieh adding tactical finesse.

Wang admitted that winning the silver medal in the mixed doubles at the Olympics helped more fans get to know her and bring them closer to the sport of tennis.

She will face tough opponent Amanda Anisimova from the USA in the first round of the China Open.

“Every time I come to the China Open, I can feel the passion of the fans,” he told reporters on Monday.

At the Paris Olympics, Wang teamed up with Zhang Zhizhen at the last minute and eventually won the silver medal in the mixed doubles. Wang described her Olympic experience as “like a dream”.

“I competed in the women’s singles and doubles and thought my matches were over, but then came this unexpected joy. I am so proud to have won an Olympic medal,” Wang told reporters.

“This was my first time working with Zhang. We didn’t know each other before, but we ended up working well together. He is a very thoughtful actor.”

Wang said he hopes to improve his level and world ranking by competing in top-level tournaments.

“I’ve played in a lot of big tournaments this year, including the Olympics, WTA 1000 events and Grand Slam tournaments. Having so many opportunities to compete with the best players is a great way to improve,” she said.