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Sports丨Queen Wen leads the charge Down Under

CHINADAILY · 公众号 · 时评 · 2025-01-10 13:11

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With Queen Wen fired up to go a step better than last year, and a record number of her compatriots entering the main draw, Chinese tennis looks primed to start off the year with a bang at the Australian Open.

Spearheaded by the red-hot Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, a legion of Chinese players — 11 in total, including three men — have made it to the main draw of the season's maiden Slam, which swings into action with the first round on Sunday. It marks the biggest Chinese representation at any major ever, with fans eagerly anticipating big things Down Under.

▲ Olympic champion and world No 5 Zheng Qinwen hits a backhand to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during a charity match in Melbourne on Wednesday. It was a routine day's work for Zheng at Rod Laver Arena, as the 2024 Australian Open runner-up claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win. Xinhua

After signing off a stratospheric 2024 season at a career-high world No 5 ranking, Zheng has returned to Melbourne Park with greater confidence, bolstered by her gold-laden Olympic campaign. Memories of that narrow defeat to current world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in last year's final will likely add some extra motivation in the bid to crack her major title drought, as if any were needed.

Despite skipping all her pre-AO warm-up tournaments due to an extended recovery period from the fatigue of last season, Zheng looked quite sharp and fresh in her first outing of 2025 on Thursday, as she dictated play to beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in straight sets in a charity match in front of the rousing Melbourne crowd at Rod Laver Arena.

▲ China's Wang Xinyu hits a return to Russia's Polina Kudermetova during their match at the Brisbane International on Dec 30. AFP

Despite longing for a major title, though, the Hubei province native is keeping her expectations in check.

"My plan for 2025, first of all, is to stay healthy, that's the most important thing for all the athletes, and, after that, let's see where I can go. Hopefully, I can do better (this year)," the 22-year-old said after beating the former world No 3, 6-2,6-2, in 70 minutes.

She has been billed as one of this year's hot title favorites by fans. Zheng, however, shrugs off the pressure of lofty expectations that she will repeat the heroics of her idol and Chinese tennis legend Li Na, whose triumph at the tournament in 2014 was watched by an 11-year-old Zheng on TV at a junior club in Li's home city of Wuhan.

"There are more people who know me outside of tennis now," Zheng said of her new-found fame following her Paris Olympics win.

"There are more fans coming to watch me, as demonstrated today. This brings me energy on the tennis court, and I just feel that, every day, I love tennis more, and love the Australian Open even more."

Seeded fifth in the 128-draw singles tournament, Zheng will open her campaign facing a qualifier in the first round, with a potential rematch against her bitter rival and defending champion Sabalenka looming in the quarterfinals, should Zheng advance smoothly.

▲ China's top men's player Zhang Zhizhen hits a backhand to Denis Shapovalov of Canada at the Adelaide International on Jan 6. AFP

Boasting a similarly aggressive baseline game and powerful serves, Zheng and Sabalenka have met five times overall, and the Belarusian three-time major winner has claimed victory every time.

Elsewhere in the women's draw, six other Chinese players, including the country's second-highest ranked ace Wang Xinyu (No 37) and wildcard entry Zhang Shuai, will also be making their own breakthrough bids in Melbourne, where Chinese players have traditionally performed better than at the other Slams, thanks in part to the strong support of the local Chinese community.

Wang, who suffered a first-round exit last year, opens with a tough test against 11th seed Paula Badosa of Spain, while veteran Zhang, who clinched a main-draw entry by winning the wild-card playoffs in November, sets up an intriguing rematch against McCartney Kessler after beating the 67th-ranked American at the China Open in September to end a 24-match losing streak.

In the men's tournament, a surging Chinese trio, comprising world No 47 Zhang Zhizhen, teen sensation Shang Juncheng (No 50) and rising star Buyunchaokete (No 65), is expected to continue demonstrating China's greater balance in the sport, as they each attempt to keep pace with their female counterparts through deep runs in the draw.

It will be no easy task, though, in the highly competitive and physically demanding men's game.

Zhang opens his third straight main draw campaign in Melbourne against Norway's 13th seed Holger Rune, while Shang aims to chalk up a first "W" in his third attempt facing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round, following two losses to the Spaniard last year.

▲ Chinese teen Shang Juncheng hits a forehand to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their semifinal at the Hong Kong Open on Jan 4. AFP

Buyunchaokete, who announced his arrival at the elite level by fighting into back-to-back semifinals on the ATP Tour last fall, will begin his AO main draw debut against a qualifier.

In a series of "firsts" for Chinese men's tennis, between them, the trio reached five semifinals and two finals on the ATP Tour last year, with the youngest Shang, a 19-year-old prodigy, winning his first, and Chinese men's second, tour-level singles title at the ATP250 event in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in September.

As the leading star and the first Chinese mainland player to crack the men's top-100, Zhang took pride in helping to raise the sport's profile back home, where tennis success was usually the preserve of the nation's women.

"If people are watching us do something, and then trying to follow us, that's great news for us," Zhang told atptour.com last month while representing Team China at the United Cup in Perth.

"Most Chinese people are watching table tennis or badminton at the Olympics, not tennis. But, suddenly, they're watching our final live on TV," Zhang said of his runner-up finish with partner Wang in the mixed doubles final at the Paris Olympics.

"Right away, more people know who we are, and more people are trying to play, trying to learn. That's really good," said the 28-year-old Shanghai native, who reached his first tour-level final at the Hangzhou Open last fall.

Reporter: Sun Xiaochen