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Chinese Men Making More Moves At The U.S. Open

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

For years as Chinese women started to decorate the Top 100 rankings on the WTA Tour, many asked where the Chinese men were in the ATP Rankings. This question is now slowly being put to bed as increasing number of male players in China have made strides in men’s tennis.

The latest to make their mark is Yunchaokete Bu.

Bu will be the fourth man from China to compete in the men’s singles at the U.S. Open in 2024 after he dramatically advanced through the tournament’s qualifying rounds. Trailing by a service break in the final set against former Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev of Russia 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final round of qualifying, Bu persisted to reach the main draw at the Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

The No. 123-ranked Bu will also join countryman Jerry Shang, who is also making his main draw debut at the U.S. Open, but qualifying directly into the 128-player men’s singles field. Zhizhen Zhang of China, who made his U.S. Open debut in 2022, is also in the 2024 U.S. Open field.

At the 2022 U.S. Open, Wu Yibing became the first player from China to win a main draw singles match at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era when he beat No. 31 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in the U.S. Open first round Wu, absent from the U.S. Open this year, was ranked No. 174 at the time in 2022 and advanced into the main draw by winning three qualifying matches. He was also the first Chinese man to win a match at the U.S. Championships since Cheng Guy in 1935.

Read more about the 2022 breakthrough and history of Chinese men here

Chinese Men Makes U.S. Open History In Brilliant AND Dubious Fashion

Bu has quite an interesting background as he was born and raised in humble beginnings in Bortala Mongolian autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, deep in the western part of China that borders Kazakhstan and, historically, has been a Muslim area of China. Bu defeated current top star Holger Rune of Denmark in the second round of the Australian Open junior championships in 2019, before a should injury and COVID stalled his career.

Bu said his fellow Chinese pros Wu and Zheng have been very encouraging and have helped him have the confidence in himself to make it to the highest level of pro tennis.

“They give me a lot of confidence because I didn’t think I could be top 50 or something, but now they’re close so I feel I can make it also,” he said. “We have a good relationship, we text a lot.”

Zhang was the first Chinese to crack the men’s top 100 and was the first player from China to reach the men’s third round at Roland Garros. He also reached the quarterfinals of an ATP Masters tournament for the first time in Madrid.

Qinwen Zheng’s Great Escape En Route To Olympic Gold

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“By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Call it “The Great Escape” of Olympic tennis.

Qinwen Zheng won an historic first-ever singles gold medal for China at the tennis competition the Paris Olympic Games, but it would not have been achieved had she not wrestled herself out of the jaws of defeat – twice!

In the third round against Emma Navarro of the United States, played on Court 7 at Roland Garros, Zheng had to save a match point before surviving 6-7(7),7-6(4), 6-1. Navarro served for the match TWICE but was not able to close out the win. Before Navarro served for the match for the first time, she had her match point leading 5-3 in the second set with Zheng serving at ad-out. Zheng saved the match point with a strong serve out wide the Navarro could barely get her racquet on, the ball ricocheting off her frame and into the crowd on the sidelines. Zheng, who also trailed 0-30 that game, won the following two points to fight back to draw to 5-4, forcing Navarro to serve for the match. Navarro, however, was only able to win one point while first serving for the match as Zheng broke to tie the second set at 5-5. At 5-5, Zheng, however, faltered and hit a double fault down 15-40 allowing Navarro another chance to serve out the match. Navarro, however, was broken at love to then force the second set tiebreaker that Zheng persisted in and won 7-4. The first two sets took two hours and 28 minutes and Zheng was the stronger player physically and won the final set 6-1 with the total match time being three hours, 12 minutes.

With the compact schedule of the Olympics , Zheng had to turn around the next day in the quarterfinals to play on Philippe Chatrier Stadium against 2016 Olympic silver medalist Angie Kerber, playing her final career tournament. Kerber led 4-1 in the third set before Zheng again escaped to win by a tight of 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) scoreline in three hours and four minutes. That’s Zheng wining two three-hour matches on consecutive days!  Zheng had to serve to stay in the match twice in the final set against Kerber, at 4-5 and 5-6 (winning both service games at 15) and was two points from losing at 6-6 in the final-set tiebreaker.

After these two arduous matches, Zheng then had to face the prospect of playing four-time Roland Garros champion and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. However, her consistency, mixed with nerves and poor play from Swiatek gave the Zheng the 6-2, 7-5 victory. Zheng, ranked No. 7 in the world, was then the favorite in the final against No. 21-ranked Donna Vekic in the final and won the gold in relatively routine fashion 6-2, 6-3.

For all of this struggle to win Olympic gold, it is ironic that Zheng’s Olympic effort began with a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash of Sara Errani in the first round, only the sixth white-wash match ever in Olympic women’s singles history.

Another Tennis Comeback For China’s Wu Yibing

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Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

A name appeared in the qualifying field at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston this week that hasn’t been seen in a while.

It’s Wu Yibing.

The standout from China has been one of the most interesting stories on the ATP Tour the last years, starting with his historic win at the Dallas Open last year when he became the first player from China to win an ATP singles title.

He has been sidelined for six months after having surgery for an old injury on his left foot in October and his inactivity caused for his ranking to drop to No. 298 from his career high of No. 54.

“I really enjoyed playing with a healthy body again,” Wu said after defeating Kazakhstan’s Denis Yevseyev in the final round of qualifying in Houston, according to China Daily. “Hopefully, I can keep playing while staying healthy. I expect to have a better clay swing this season than last year, because I specifically tuned up for this surface during my recovery. I am looking forward to working my way back to the top tournaments, where I feel I belong, through solid performances at the lower-level events.”

Also interesting to note is that Wu is working with two high profile coaches, former top 10 star Wayne Ferreira and 2006 Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis. Ferreira recently parted ways with Frances Tiafoe after guiding the American to the Top 10 of the ATP rankings.

“I am so grateful that Wayne could help me out during the North American swing, while Marcos takes over once I am in Europe,” said Wu, who, according to China Daily, was bedridden for three weeks and had to walk on crutches for a month and a half in the immediate aftermath of his surgery. “We will work on improving my weaknesses such as my serve and unforced errors on my forehand.”

Wu has a history of comebacks and had one of the most dramatic rises seen in tennis, as documented here: https://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/21222 when he went from having ONE ATP ranking point into the U.S. Open main draw in just four months.

“I’ve had a change of mindset because of all the injuries,” Wu said, according to China Daily. “To be able to compete again after being out for six months, I am just so happy I could make it back. “Technically, I am happy that I delivered my level in training. I am not expecting too much at the moment because physically I am still playing with caution while seeing how my body reacts.”

Wu Yibing

Players From World’s Two Most Populous Nations, Playing Side-By-Side, Showcase U.S. Open Qualifying Round Fan Diversity

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

When rising star players from the world’s two most populous nations are playing U.S. Open qualifying round finals on an adjacent courts it’s certain to create a vibrant atmosphere.

That’s exactly what it was like when Jerry Shang of China and Ankita Raina of India were playing side-by-side on Courts 14 and 13 Friday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

With Queens, New York being the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, it’s not a surprise that these popular players from China and India would certainly draw a crowd, especially during U.S. Open qualifying tournament, the centerpiece of the U.S. Tennis Association’s free “Fan Week” offering.

Raina, playing on Court No. 13, faced Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund for the right to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open. It was especially important and historic for Raina, who was looking to join Sania Mirza as only the second woman representing India to reach the singles main draw at the U.S. Open. One couldn’t help but notice that most of the crowd were fans of Indian descent, looking to see if Raina would create some history for India in tennis. Over 140,000 people from India now call Queens home, with the hub of Indian culture on the borough mainly centered around Jackson Heights. However those that came out to watch Raina would end up crying in their curry as Bjorklund won a tougher-than-the-score-looked 6-2, 6-2 decision. While the Indian fans in attendance were no doubt disappointed, Bjorklund’s new finance, former Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov, was no doubt thrilled.

Shang, a rising star from China, was playing on Court 14 in his qualifying final against Otto Virtanen of Finland. While Raina’s court was ringed with fans, it was standing-room-only with people standing four deep for Shang. Queens, after all, is home of the one of the fastest growing Chinatowns in the United States. In Jon Wertheim’s U.S. Open tips column in his Sports Illustrated website tennis mail column mentioned that fans should take a jaunt to downtown Flushing just one subway stop down the line from the Mets-Willets Point stop to experience the best Chinese food in New York City. These immigrants from China comprise of over 240,000 in Queens and the ones who came out to support Shang got very excited when the 18-year-old won a second-set tiebreaker to force a decisive third set. “The Man Called Otto,” however, was quick to run to a 5-0 lead and held on to win 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-1.

The tennis wasn’t the highest of quality, even if just compared to other qualifying matches even though both were final-round matches with main draw slots on the line. But, it was part spectacle based on the ethnic make-up of those mostly surrounding the court, showcasing what makes this part of the world so exciting and diverse.

Jerry Shang (far court, far side in orange) and Atkina Raina (near court, far side in purple) at the US Open Qualifying Tournament

Wu Yibing Had ONE ATP Ranking Point Four Months Ago, Now He’s In The U.S. Open Main Draw

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

At the start of U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit ITF World Tennis Tour event in Orange Park , Florida in mid April of this year, Wu Yibing had one ATP ranking point to his credit.

One.

He was ranked No. 1,749 in world on the ATP Rankings and had only played one ATP tournament in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and injury.

Now, on August 26, 2022 – just four months later – he is in the main draw of the U.S. Open.

One of the most dramatic rises in men’s tennis history continued to crescendo at the season’s final Grand Slam tournament as Yibing qualified for his first Grand Slam tournament main draw by winning three matches in the qualifying tournament. Now ranked No.  176, Yibing is also the first man representing China to play in the main draw of men’s singles at the U.S. Open, alongside Zhizhen Zhang, who also advanced into the main draw via qualifying.

“I told people during the event that he would be top 50 in a year and I believe it,” said Mark Arrowsmith, the tournament director of the Vallencourt Construction /East West Partners Tennis Classic presented by Dream Finders Homes at Eagle Landing in Orange Park. “He was very professional and appreciative of the opportunity to finally be competing again.”

In Orange Park, Yibing used a protected ranking to get into the field and won five matches to win the title, defeating future Wimbledon junior finalist Michael Zheng of the United States in the final. That moved his ranking to No. 858. He moved into the top 400 to No. 332 by beating Jason Kubler in the final of the Orlando Challenger in Florida in June. He moved to No. 233 after winning the Rome Challenger in Georgia in July, beating Ben Shelton in the final. He then cracked the top 200 at No. 174 after winning the Indianapolis Challenger in late July.

Yibing was the No. 1 junior player in the world in 2017 and won the U.S. Open junior boys singles title that year. He was able to crack the top 300 within 12 months of his junior win in New York, but he underwent elbow surgery in 2020 and was not able to leave China during the pandemic, forcing him to only play in domestic Chinese events.

Yibing and Arrowsmith at the USTA Pro Circuit event in Orange Park, Florida

When Peng Shuai Was Last The Subject Of A Press Release Prior To Her Sexual Assault Allegations

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Peng Shuai has been the subject of many news stories, due to her allegations of sexual assault by a leading Communist Party leader in China. While going through our email inbox over the Christmas Holiday, we stumbled across the following old press release from 2018 which may have been the last time she was the subject of an internationally distributed press release before her recent allegations.

Tennis Integrity UnitMEDIA RELEASE London, 8 August 2018

Peng Shuai disciplined for breach of Tennis Anti-Corruption Program  

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has been disciplined for breaching the sport’s anti-corruption code by attempting to change her doubles partner after sign-in deadline.

Peng Shuai was found to have used coercion and offered the possibility of financial reward in return for her main draw partner agreeing to withdraw from the ladies doubles event at Wimbledon 2017.

Although the offer was refused and Peng Shuai did not subsequently compete at The Championships, it constituted a breach of Section D.1.d of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) which states that: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any Event.” 

Independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Prof Richard H. McLaren considered the case at a Hearing held in London on 16 July 2018, following an investigation by the TIU.

Today’s decision from Prof McLaren imposes a six months ban, with three months suspended, and $10,000 fine, with $5,000 suspended, on condition that no further breaches of the TACP are committed.

The suspension applies with immediate effect and means that the player cannot compete in or attend any event organised, sanctioned or recognised by the governing bodies of the sport.

Assuming no further breaches of the TACP are committed, Peng Shuai will be eligible to play again on 8 November 2018.

The 32-year old is currently ranked 20 in doubles and 80 in singles. She was the number one ranked doubles player in February 2014 and has a career-best singles ranking of 14 achieved in August 2011.

In a companion ruling Prof McLaren imposed a three months period of suspension of credentials on the player’s former French coach, Bertrand Perret.

The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Board, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP and the WTA, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to corruption in tennis. 

Peng Shuai
Peng Shuai

2021 Aussie Open Rules, Djokovic Training With U.S. Open Balls – This Week In Tennis

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Australian Open organizers have settled on a plan to host the 2021 tournament complete with bio-security and fewer spectators. Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley says the tournament has already decided on how the event will shape up in January – reduced seating due to social distancing, players in a secure bio-security ”bubble” and the likelihood of no overseas spectators.

A summary of this week in tennis is posted below…

2021 Australian Open: Smaller crowds, player bio-security https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-australian-open-smaller-crowds-player-bio-security-034813397–ten.html

Novak Djokovic requesting U.S. Open balls indicates he’s strongly considering playing in New York https://www.essentiallysports.com/novak-djokovic-demands-shipment-of-us-open-balls-ahead-of-tennis-restart-atp-news/

“So we’ll look at this with the glass maybe not half full but a quarter full,” says WTA head Steve Simon to Chris Clarey of The New York Times of the canceling all pro tennis events in China this year https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/sports/tennis/wta-tour-china-tournaments-canceled.html?smid=em-share

Word TeamTennis draws largest TV audience in its history on CBS https://wtt.com/2020/07/21/wtt2020-cbs-broadcast-of-washington-kastles-vs-vegas-rollers-draws-record-numbers/?blog_id=1

Danielle Collins ‘dismissed’ from World TeamTennis over COVID-19 protocol breach https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/collins-dismissed-world-teamtennis-over-042336158.html

World TeamTennis stars take competition from the court to the golf course at The Greenbrier resort https://wtt.com/2020/07/25/wtt-stars-take-competition-from-the-court-to-the-golf-course/?blog_id=1

ESPN study: Fan desire for sports has increased https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29502357

The hospital at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center cost $52 Million. It treated 79 virus patients. https://news.yahoo.com/hospital-cost-52-million-treated-121337052.html

Tennis alive and well during the pandemic http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/tennis-alive-and-well-during-the-pandemic/article_ac7efe22-cd22-11ea-81d6-6b5d8dcc1c8d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share via @fairfaxtimes

Serena Williams headlines new WTA event in Lexington, Kentucky http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/18732

Citi Open in Washington, D.C. canceled https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/sports/citi-open-washington-canceled.html

 

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

Naomi Osaka, Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic Grab Titles – Mondays with Bob Greene

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Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Naomi Osaka beat Ashleigh Barty 3-6 6-3 6-2 to win the China Open women’s singles in Beijing, China

Dominic Thiem beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 6-4 6-1 to win the China Open men’s singles in Beijing, China

Novak Djokovic beat John Millman 6-3 6-2 to win the Rakuten Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan

 

SAYING

“I accomplished what I set out to do.” – Naomi Osaka, after winning the China Open women’s title.

“I was trying to belt it and I couldn’t crack an egg out there.” – Ashleigh Barty, talking about the cold weather conditions during his China Open final loss to Naomi Osaka.

“It was a fantastic week in every sense. I felt great on the court … didn’t drop a set, played really well, served great. Just overall a great experience.” – Novak Djokovic, who won in Tokyo.

“Your legacy is continuing to build and will just live on long after you’ve finished playing but I’m sure you’ve got a fair few more years left.” – John Millman, complimenting Novak Djokovic after being thrashed by the Serb in the Tokyo final.

“It feels great because today was for me one of the best matches I’ve played in my life.” – Dominic Thiem, who served and volleyed his way to victory over Stefano Tsitsipas in the China Open final.

“It’s my first good tournament after a while. I just need to stay concentrated and not think too big of myself this week,” – Stefano Tsitsipas, who had lost five of his previous six matches before Beijing.

“I forgot how it felt and honestly it sucks. I didn’t miss it.” – Bianca Andreescu, after having her 17-match winning streak snapped in the China Open quarterfinals by Naomi Osaka.

“For me, I just do what I’ve been doing for, like, 21 years, which is play tennis. That’s the main thing for me. That’s the thing that I’ve done every day of my life and what gives me most joy.” – Naomi Osaka.

“It also shows that I (have) played another very good and consistent season. I’m looking forward to it a lot.” – Dominic Thiem, after qualifying for the eight-player, season-ending Nitto ATP Tour Finals.

“I felt that something isn’t right because my mind is there but my body wasn’t following it.” – Sabine Lisicki, 2013 Wimbledon finalist, who is resuming training after being diagnosed and treated for mononucleosis.

 

SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE

Naomi Osaka is sending a message on who’s number one on the WTA tour. Dominating the Asian swing, Osaka captured her second consecutive title, this time battering top-ranked Ashleigh Barty in the China Open final. “Honestly, all I was thinking about was how much I wanted to win so that made me very emotional,” Osaka said after her three-set victory. “In the second set I just tried to rationalize everything and then in the third set just continue what I was doing.” Despite Osaka getting the first break of the match, Barty took control to jump out front by winning the first set. The next two sets were an entirely different story as Osaka overpowered her Australian foe, striking quickly with down-the-line service returns and holding serve. “I still felt like the underdog (against Barty),” Osaka said. “Results-wise, she’s had a way better 2019, I think. She’s ranked higher than me. People look at that going into it.” The match was played in chilly weather, the temperature around 59 F (15 Celsius). Barty said the conditions nullified the zip on her serve and reduced the variety of shots she was able to play. Osaka had a different take on it. “I’m not really too much of an analyst, wo I can’t say whether the colder conditions helped me,” she said. Her Beijing victory came a week after Osaka captured the Toray Pan Pacific Ocean in her birthplace of Osaka, Japan.

Osaka became the fifth player to qualify for the year-ending WTA Finals, joining Barty, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep and Bianca Andreescu. Osaka will be playing in her second straight WTA Finals, making her the second Japanese woman to qualify in consecutive years since Kimiko Date did it in 1994-96.

 

SO DOMINANT

Novak Djokovic dominated John Millman in winning his first Japan Open title and the 76th of his career. It was the Serb’s first tournament since he withdrew from the US Open because of a shoulder injury. “It was a fantastic week in every sense,” Djokovic said. “I felt great on the court … didn’t drop a set, payed really well, served great. Just overall a great experience.” Millman, a qualifier, was playing in his first ATP Tour 500 final. And it was really no contest. Djokovic had 23 winners, including eight of his 12 trips to the net. “It sounds silly to say but I hope everyone all around the world realizes just how good you are,” a thorough impressed Millman told Djokovic at the trophy presentation. “You’re an absolute champion and you’re the type of person who’s going to be remembered forever.” Millman will certainly remember. Djokovic won 87 percent of his first service points, slammed six aces, never faced a break point and wrapped up the victory in 69 minutes. He didn’t drop a set the entire week. And he had a good word for Millman, who staved off three match points in his first qualifying match. “He had a great tournament,” Djokovic said. “Considering he was close to losing in the first round of qualies, to get this far, I think he’ll take it. He’s a fighter.”

 

SERVE AND VOLLEY???

Austria’s Dominic Thiem played what he called one of the best matches of his career. It came against Stefano Tsitsipas and in the China Open final. “Game style-wise and also how I came back, it’s definitely one of my biggest titles because the tournament is so strong, the draw was so strong,” Thiem said. “Makes me very happy that I stand as the champion at the end of the week.” It was Thiem’s fourth title in a season where the 26-year-old has posted victories over both top-ranked Novak Djokovic and third-ranked Roger Federer. In Beijing, Thiem and Tsitsipas – both known for their clay-court baseline battles – instead went to the net repeatedly, even serving and volleying on big points. Tsitsipas went to the net 33 times, eight more than Thiem, where he won 19 points, two more than the eventual champion. “I think today I never went so much to the net in one match before. It’s the right thing to do. I think it’s very important to shorten up points, to finish points at the net,” Thiem said. Tsitsipas won the opening set and was one point away from serving for the match. Instead, it was Thiem who prevailed, thanks to a backhand passing shot that clipped the net and fell in. Tsitsipas never recovered as Thiem won seven straight games, leveling the match at a set each and taking a 5-0 lead in the third. “I was so close,” Tsitsipas said. “Literally one point from getting a break, serving for the championship. I just did the wrong thing. I went back, wanted to take some time, in which he played smart. He served and volleyed.”

Thiem became the fifth player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. He joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev in the November 10-17 tournament.

 

START OF RIVALRY?

The last two US Open women’s champions met in Beijing, and it was Naomi Osaka coming out on top while snapping Bianca Andreescu’s 17-match winning streak. Osaka won America’s premier tennis tournament in 2018, while Andreescu captured the crown last month. In their China Open quarterfinal, Osaka fired 10 aces and 31 winners to prevail 5-7 6-3 6-4. It was Andreescu’s first loss since the Miami Open in March.  There were 11 breaks of serve in the match. “I think we’re going to have many matches like this,” Andreescu said. “Our game styles are pretty different, but they level up pretty equally.” Osaka, who went on to win the tournament, noted that she didn’t reach a final on clay or grass this year. “I feel like people counted me out after the Europe thing,” she said. “I’m just like, I still won a Slam this year, I won (Osaka). I’m still here. But there’s a sort of beauty to be underrated.”

 

SITTING ON TOP

Kristina Mladenovic of France is back on top of the WTA doubles rankings. She replaces Barbora Strycova, who had held the top doubles ranking for 12 consecutive weeks. Mladenovic first took over as WTA doubles number one on June 10 of this year after winning her third career Grand Slam tournament doubles title at Roland Garros. She was number one for just five weeks before being ousted by Strycova. Mladenovic is the second French woman to reach the top ranking in doubles, following Julie Halard-Decugis in 2000, and is the 42nd player overall since WTA rankings were introduced in 1975.

Mladenovic and her partner, Hungary’s Timea Babos, also became the third team to secure their spot at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, where they will be defending their title.

 

STILL WINNING

Goran Ivanisevic, who was a wild-card entry when he won Wimbledon in 2001, is the fan favorite to enter the International Tennis Hall of Fame next year. The retired 48-year-old Croatian led the way for four candidates in balloting by fans from more than 120 nations. Spain’s Conchita Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon winner, was second in fan voting, with Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman, a former world doubles number one, finishing ahead of Spain’s Sergi Bruguera. A candidate must receive 75 percent support from the official Hall voting panel, which includes Hall of Fame members, historians and reporters. Success in fan voting brings bonuses toward that threshold. Next year’s inductees will be announced at the Australian Open in January with enshrinement ceremonies set for next July at the ATP Hall of Fame Classic in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

 

SKIPPING SHANGHAI

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Rolex Shanghai Masters because of an injury to his left hand. It is the same injury that caused him to be unable to take the court for his second singles match at Laver Cup last month. Nadal has never won Shanghai, finishing runner-up in both 2009 and 2017. The reigning US Open men’s champion has won 28 of his past 29 matches, including the last 11. Nadal is next scheduled top compete at the Rolex Paris Masters.

 

SHARAPOVA WITHDRAWS

An ongoing shoulder injury has forced Maria Sharapova to withdraw from the Upper Austria Ladies Linz tournament. Currently ranked 137th in the world, Sharapova has entered only eight tournaments this year, reaching the quarterfinals only once, and that in the first week of the year in Shenzhen, China. In the Australian Open, she reached the quarterfinals where she lost to Ashleigh Barty in three sets. Sharapova has won only eight matches this year.

 

SINO MARK

After 47 years, two Japanese players have reached the quarterfinals of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships at the same time. Taro Daniel beat Australian Jordan Thompson 6-4 7-6 (3) and Yasutka Uchiyama edged Moldova’s Radu Albot 6-7 (2) 6-3 6-4 in their round of 16 battles. The last time two Japanese players reached the quarters was 1972, when Toshiro Sakai and Jun Kuki did it. At that time, there were 18 Japanese players in the draw; this year, there were five. There has been a Japanese quarterfinalist in Tokyo in seven of the past eight years, with the only exception being 2016. Neither Daniel nor Uchiyama reached the semifinals.

 

SUSPENDED

An Italian umpire was suspended by the ATP after he made sexual comments to a 16-year-old ball girl. Gianluca Moscarella was umpiring an ATP Challenger Tour match in Florence, Italy when he was caught on camera telling the ball girl “very sexy,” among other remarks. He also was heard urging a player to win. A gold badge umpire, the highest level of international certification, Moscarella asked the ball girl later in the match, “Are you OK? It’s hot. Do you feel hot? Physically or emotionally?” The video was shown on social media and the ATP immediately dismissed Moscarella from the event and suspended without pay. The ATP said Moscarella will not work any ATP or Challenger event as a “contracted ATP official” until an investigation is complete.

 

STUDY WHILE WORKING

Tennis isn’t the only thing on Caroline Wozniacki’s mind these days. The Danish star is taking a Harvard University class and said she has been “reading a lot, doing my homework.” Wozniacki said: “It’s been good. It’s the business crossover program. It’s learning business. You know, if you want to start your own business one day, it’s good to know what goes on behind the scenes, what decision are good to make, and how to make the most revenue. You know, just trying to learn the basics.”

 

SKIN COLOR

In laughing off comments about her skin color, Naomi Osaka got in a plug for one of her sponsors. A Japanese comedy duo allegedly joked that the tennis star, born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, is “too sunburned.”  Posting on Twitter, Osaka lampooned the comments by noting her cosmetic sponsor Shiseido. “Too sunburned’ lol that’s wild,” Osaka said on Twitter. “Little did they know, with Shiseido Anessa perfect UV sunscreen I never get sunburned.” The duo and their management company apologized for the “inappropriate, hurtful remarks,” but did not refer to Osaka by name. In January, the Japanese noodle company Nissin was accused of “whitewashing” Osaka after being forced to remove an advertisement depicting a cartoon of the tennis star with pale skin and light brown hair. Nissen promised to pay more attention in the future to issues of diversity and racism.

 

SPORTS WRITER

Besides winning matches on court, Andrea Petkovic of Germany is winning awards as a writer. An article in Racquet Magazine written by Petkovic was recognized by Longreads with a Notable Mention in Best American Sports Writing category. Petkovic joined the American indie band “Tennis” on its tour cross the southeastern United States. During the tour, she recorded her musings on the nature of living on the road, both as a professional tennis player and as part of a rock band. She also photographed the experience that accompanied the essay titled, “Tennis vs. Tennis.” “Just a few days ago I was a tennis player on vacation in Mexico, and now I’m a writer on tour with a band, carrying a Polaroid camera with me wherever we go, holding it up and in their faces in their most vulnerable moments, hoping to get something, hoping to see something real, something graspable, something explainable, something wrote writing down,” Petkovic wrote in the essay.

 

STAYS ON ITF BOARD

Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde have been re-appointed to four-year terms as the athlete representatives to the International Tennis Federation Board. “Mary and Mark have made significant contributions to the ITF Board over the last four years and we are delighted to have them continue another four years to bring the athlete’s voice into our board meetings and help us make informed decisions for the good of tennis and the ITF member nations,” ITF President David Haggerty said. The ITF Board also unanimously appointed four members in senior leadership roles. Rene Stammbach of Switzerland was appointed treasurer and continues in his role as chairman of the finance committee, while three others were appointed vice presidents: Katrina Adams, the immediate past president of the United States Tennis Association; Bernard Giudicelli, president of the Fédération Française de Tennis; and Bulat Utemuratov, president of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.

 

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Beijing (men): Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek beat Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-3 7-6 (4)

Beijing (women): Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Jelena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska 6-3 6-7 (5) 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Tokyo: Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor 7-6 (7) 6-4

 

 

SURFING

Shanghai: http://en.shanghairolexmasters.com/

Fairfield: https://www.fairfieldprotennis.com/

Mouilleron-Le-Captif: https://www.internationauxdevendee.com/

Tianjin: http://www.tianjinopen.com/

Linz: https://www.ladieslinz.at/de/news/index_ger.html

Moscow: https://kremlincup.ru/

Antwerp: http://europeanopen.be/

Stockholm: https://www.stockholmopen.se/

Luxembourg: https://www.bglbnpparibas-open.com/

Suzhou: www.tennis.org.cn

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$8,322,885 Shanghai Rolex Masters, Shanghai, China, hard

$162,480 Santo Domingo Open, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, clay

$108,320 Northbay Healthcare Men’s Pro Championships, Fairfield, California, USA, hard

$100,600 Internationaux de Tennis de Vendee, Mouilleron-Le-Captif, France, hard

 

WOMEN

$500,000 Tianjin Open, Tianjin, China, hard

$250,000 Upper Austria Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard

 

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN

$922,520 VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, hard

$780,567 European Open, Antwerp, Belgium, hard

$780,567 Intrum Stockholm Open, Stockholm, Sweden, hard

$162,480 Yinzhou International Men’s Tennis Challenger, Ningbo, China, hard

 

WOMEN

$1,032,000 VTB Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, hard

$250,000 BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, Luxembourg, Luxembourg, hard

$100,000 ITF Suzhou, Suzhou, China, hard

 

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka

Wuhan: The Future of Tennis in China

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Ever since Steven Simon became WTA CEO, ten events have been staged not only in Taiwan and Hong Kong but across Mainland China. The Elite Trophy Zhuhai is the eighth tournament on the women’s circuit to take place in Mainland China. The sportsbetting tennis odds of Mainland China hosting such events were never high, to begin with.

As such, events like the Elite Trophy Zhuhai have silenced a lot of naysayers. With other premier 5 events typically hosted in cities like Dubai and Rime, some fans have wondered how Wuhan ever came to host the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

One would probably point to Wuhan’s determination to elevate its status in China and the world over. Home to 10 million people, the fact that Li Na, Asia’s only grand slam champion, came from Wuhan probably acted as a driving force.

Octagon, the sports agency that owns the Premier 5 tournament, began talking to Wuhan’s municipal government in 2012 about the possibility of leasing the tour shortly after Li Na won her first slam and became the second-highest-paid female athlete in the world.

Li Na’s retirement in 2014 disappointed fans but didn’t derail talks, especially when $225 million was availed to build a state of the art tennis facility in Wuhan. Some pundits hoped that Li Na would get to play on home soil, but that won’t happen.

None the less, the investment paid off; Tennis has become the vehicle through which Wuhan’s name has gained recognition, mentioned alongside the likes of Cincinnati and Toronto. If properly executed, the massively expensive branding exercises could soon put Wuhan on the same level as Beijing, Shanghai, and other significant Chinese cities.

Of course, seeing as the tournament is still new and the stadium is situated in a developing area, it is only natural for Wuhan to struggle to attract a big live audience. Rarely do they come close to filling the 15,000 seats of the stadium in any given session.

According to Steve Simon, Wuhan must change the tournament from a typical competition to an event. It isn’t enough to simply mimic the goings-on of tournaments in bigger cities.

Fans must be educated about Tennis until they gain a sense of familiarity. The empty seats often seen on TV do not help the WTA; unfortunately, the attendance issue won’t be resolved anytime soon.

Even if the attendance were to rise, though, Wuhan would still struggle to attract new international partners.

The tour is such a massive investment that it will be several years before those involved can begin breaking even or profiting; more international partners would help Wuhan contend with the financial aspects of the tournament, especially taking into account the new infrastructure rising in the city. The investment is simply too massive.

Attracting interest would probably be easier if Li Na was still playing tennis. She sparked a tennis revolution in China during the peak of her popularity. Right now, Wuhan is depending on initiatives like the Amateur City League Club (which engages 3,000 players in nearly two dozen Chinese Cities) to spread the Tennis Culture.

If Wuhan continues pushing tennis in China, and with the WTA establishing a position in the Chinese marketplace, the tour could continue to expand in the region. The key is to host enough tennis events in China to make Tennis commonplace, but without over saturating the market.

There must be a balance of sorts, especially if Wuhan is to recoup its investment in the long run.

Wuhan, China
Wuhan, China

Rafael Nadal Comeback Adds Steam In China

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Rafael Nadal is like a fine wine and gets better with age.

After fully recovering from injuries that have affected him in the past, he is starting to regain top form again and looking to gain valuable ranking points in the Asian swing of the ATP World Tour. In the China Open, he is seeded No. 2 and threatening to win his first hard-court singles title on the ATP World Tour since Doha in 2014.

Nadal’s 6-1, 7-6 (6) win over Adrian Mannarino was entertaining affair and one which the better offers sites seemed to have the odds right on.

Nadal may be 30 years of age but has not showed a lack of fitness of late. Against Mannarino, Nadal won nine of the first 11 games. Mannarino fought back and managed to force a tiebreaker in the second set. Nadal used his experience and skills to his advantage and manage to close out the match.

After the match, Nadal blamed himself for taking his foot off the gas in the second set to allow Mannarino back in with a chance. After winning the first set so convincingly he thought he could stroll through the second but his opponent was having none of it. He made Nadal push himself to the limit to finish the match without it going past the second set. Betting offers sites have now reduced the odds of the 14-time major tournament winner since the win. The quarterfinal will take place on Friday and Rafael will face Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria.

Rafael Nadal vs. Grigor Dimitrov Quarterfinal

It is not going to be an easy match for Nadal against Dimitrov as the player has already reached three finals this year. It was a tough battle for the Bulgarian to get through to the quarterfinals as he faced Lucas Pouille who was ranked sixth. Dimitrov was extremely close to losing as he was only two points away from losing the match. He managed to find the determination to fight back though and ended up winning 6(3)-7 7-6(0) 6-4 in a grueling match that took nearly two and a half hours to complete.

Dimitrov will need to show the composure and determination he did in the last round if he is going to beat Nadal. If he does not play at the top of his game, Nadal will take full advantage and the match could be over before he knows it. Nadal has played well all year and I fully expect him to dispatch Dimitrov to reach the semi-finals and then the final itself. Experts are backing him to go all the way to win the China Tennis Open 2016.

 

 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

China’s Shuai Zhang Getting The Hang Of This Grand Slam Tournament Thing

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

 

Shuai Zhang is getting this Grand Slam tournament thing down.

The 27-year-old from China, who famously reached the quarterfinals at the Asutralian Open this year after going 0-14 in her creer at Grand Slam events, is now enjoying her second-best showing at a major, reaching the third round at the U.S. Open with a 6-3, 6-3 upset over Sam Stosur, who is also her doubles partner.

“For sure, I feel happy, very exciting,” said Zhang after her win over Stosur on the “New” Grandstand court.  “I’m so happy to be still here.”

Following her quarterfinal run at the Australian Open, Zhang lost in the second round of the French Open to Stosur and in the first round at Wimbledon to Carla Suarez Navarro.  She is the top-ranked ranked player in China at No. 51 in the WTA rankings and the last remaining Chinese player in singles. Her quarterfinal finish in Australian put her alongside her countrywomen Jie Jheng, Peng Shuai and Li Na as Chinese players to reach at least the quarterfinals at a major championship.

Is Zhang ready to take the mantle as the leader of Chinese tennis that Li Na, the former French and Australian Open champion, did for years?

“I don’t want to think too much about this,” said Zhang. “I just want to focus on my tennis. I just try my best on the court.”

Her full, post-match English conversation, that includes comments on how Stosur talked her out of retiring from pro tennis late last year, can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1p-FDaFsmQ

Her post-match thoughts on winning her first ever U.S. Open match in her 10th appearance in New York can be read about her in my story for China Daily newspaper: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2016-08/31/content_26654056.htm

Zhang will next face Yaroslava Shvedova in the third round and, with a win, could face No. 1 seed Serena Williams in the fourth round.

Randy Walker is the author of the book, ebook, audio book and mobile app “This Day In Tennis History” (www.TennisHistoryApp.com) and can be reached at Rwalker@NewChapterMedia.com

Shuai Zhang
Shuai Zhang

Federer’s First Season-Ending Championship

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Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Roger Federer is playing in the ATP World Tour’s season-ending championship for an eighth time in 2009 at the O2 Arena in London. It was in 2002 when Federer first qualified for the ATP World Tour finale as a xx-year-old. Rene Stauffer, the respected Swiss tennis writer, chronicles Federer’s first appearance at the ATP World Tour Finals in this excerpt from his book THE ROGER FEDERER STORY, QUEST FOR PERFECTION ($24.95, New Chapter Press, www.RogerFedererBook.com). This chapter, chapter No. 14, is called “Red Dawn In China.”

Roger Federer’s title in Vienna represented a big step towards qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup in China. Federer passed Albert Costa, Andy Roddick and Tommy Haas in Champions Race to rank No. 7 after his victory along the banks of the Danube. His ATP ranking, based on the 52-week results, also rose to a career-high No. 7—the career-high ranking that his countryman Jakob Hlasek achieved in 1989. After a quarterfinal finish at the Tennis Masters Series event in Madrid, Federer moved to No. 6 in the rankings—marking the highest ATP ranking ever achieved by a Swiss player. His trip to China was well within reach, but now he wanted to finally win “his” tournament—the Swiss Indoors in Basel. After finishing runner-up the last two years, Federer seemed poised to finally capture his hometown tournament. In the quar­terfinals, Federer faced Roddick for the first time in his career and defeated the 19-year-old American 7-6 (5), 6-1 in an exciting match that lasted until midnight. In the semifinals, the brawny David Nalbandian, Federer’s rival from junior days, spoiled Roger’s hometown title dreams, winning a 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3 decision after trailing 7-6, 3-1.

The final ATP event of the year is the Tennis Masters Series in Paris, played at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, a majestic entertainment arena located on the north bank of the Seine featuring manicured grass-covered sides on its outside walls. The event usually decides the final qualifiers for the year-end Tennis Masters Cup and 2002 was no different. Federer of­ficially booked his ticket for Shanghai when Tim Henman lost in the third round to Nicolas Escude and Federer straight-setted Tommy Haas to reach the quarterfinals. With his goal achieved, Federer’s quarterfinal with Hewitt lacked the tension of his previous matches, and he lost to the world No. 1 in straight sets.

Federer traveled to Shanghai in November of 2002 as the No. 6 ranked player in the world. At age 21, he was the youngest player in the Tennis Masters Cup field, had nothing to lose as a first-time qualifier and there­fore, he was duly relaxed during the event. “Everything after this will be an encore,” he said. The Tennis Masters Cup took place in one of five gigantic exhibition halls that were reminiscent of airplane hangars in the Pudong district of Shanghai, a faceless area between the airport and downtown.

For Federer, his trip to the Tennis Masters Cup in China was unique. “This is no ordinary tournament; it’s an adventure,” he said juggling tennis balls in front of his hotel and parading up and down along the edge of a four-lane main road in a publicity photo shoot for photographers. He was playing in the Far East for the first time and immediately felt comfortable in his new surroundings. He enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the 11,500 square meter Expo-Hall, whose 10,000 spectators turned the place into an electric atmosphere.

The Tennis Masters Cup was the biggest, the most expensive and the most widely-covered professional sports event in China at the time. For most Chinese, tennis was relatively unknown. It was an undiscovered sport that they didn’t yet really understand. Whenever players double-faulted, the specta­tors would scream. Enthusiastic Chinese journalists would pose the strangest questions in press conferences. “Why are you always smiling, Mistel Fedelel? Because you are in such good shape?” a Chinese reporter asked Federer in broken English. Following another match, French Open Champion Albert Costa was asked by a Chinese scribe, “You always used to eat bananas when chang­ing sides. Why not today? Perhaps because you don’t like Chinese bananas?”

Federer, the Masters rookie who came to China with his mother Lynette and girlfriend Mirka, basked in the preferential treatment accorded to each of the eight participants. “I feel special here with the entire hullabaloo and the many body guards,” he said. “They read your every desire from your lips. It’s fortunate that there are so few players here.” At Shanghai, it became even more clear that Federer possessed a certain star quality and that he wasn’t blinded by the limelight. He loved the attention and flourished in it.

The Tennis Masters Cup is a round-robin event with the eight qualifying players paired in two round-robin groups of four. In his group, Federer ranked Andre Agassi as the favorite and himself and Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain as the leading contenders for the No. 2 position. Federer’s assessment quickly proved to be wrong. Federer beat Ferrero in his opening round-robin match and then defeated Jiri Novak for a 2-0 round robin record. Federer then clinched his round-robin flight when Agassi lost to both Novak and Ferrero. No longer with a chance of making the semifinals, Agassi hastily left China in disappointment, using a hip injury as the reason for his withdrawal.

In the semifinals, Federer faced Hewitt, who already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for a second year in a row. The Australian barely qualified for the semifinals and benefited from Carlos Moya winning a three-hour mean­ingless match over fellow Spaniard Costa, where a Costa victory would have him reach the semifinals rather than Hewitt. Although Federer lost five of the last seven matches with Hewitt, he reasoned his chances of beating him and winning the first big championship of his career were very attainable.

Federer started his semifinal with Hewitt in furious fashion, taking a 3-0 and a 5-2 first-set lead, but Hewitt ran and fought as if his life were at stake. Hewitt fought off five set points and rallied for a 6-5 lead. Serving for the set, Hewitt staved off another five break points, before capturing the first set 7-5. Federer, however, was not ready to surrender. The second set turned into a wild back-and-forth struggle. Hewitt served for the match at 5-4 and held match point, but Federer broke back for 5-5. After holding serve for 6-5, Federer evened the match by breaking Hewitt’s serve, connecting on his fourth set point of the game.

The Chinese fans went wild—out of their seats, screaming and cheering. In the commentary booth high above the stadium, Heinz Günthardt and Stefan Bürer, the Swiss TV commentary team, described the tension and fast-paced action to the audience back in Switzerland, where it was Saturday morning and many people postponed their weekend shopping to watch the dramatic match with their new sports hero.

As the match extended into a third hour, the breaks seemed to fall in favor of Federer. Leading 4-3 in the final set, Federer held two break points to put him in the position to serve for the match. Both opportunities, however, were lost and Hewitt held for 4-4. Hewitt then subsequently broke Federer’s serve the next game to serve for the match at 5-4. The Australian reached his second match point—and shockingly double-faulted. Federer then broke Hewitt’s serve to square the match at 5-5. Serving with new balls in the next game, Federer committed two consecutive double-faults to allow Hewitt to break him back and gained another opportunity to serve for the match. It took Hewitt another four match points before he finally corralled Federer and advanced to the final with an epic 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 victory. Following the match, Hall of Fame journalist Bud Collins walked into the press room and asked his fellow scribes, “Have you ever seen a better match?”

In the craziest match of his career to date, Federer was aware that he let victory escape from his grasp. “I have no one to blame but myself,” he said to a small group of Swiss journalists who traveled to China. “Luck wasn’t on my side. I blew a big opportunity. That hurts.” A vacation in Phuket, Thailand helped heal the wounds.