There are breakthroughs but regrets and the rise of newcomers in Asia – a review of the tennis events at the Hangzhou Asian Games
Xinhua News Agency, Hangzhou, September 30
After seven days of fierce battle, the tennis event of the Hangzhou Asian Games came to an end on the 30th. Veterans competed with rookies, disappointments and surprises coexisted, well-deserved and popular upsets intertwined. The “Little Lotus” court of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Tennis Center recorded the unforgettable “Hangzhou time” in Asian tennis.
Women’s singles wins consecutive championships, men’s singles breaks through the Chinese team, there are surprises and regrets
In this home game, the Chinese team sent 8 players to compete in all five events, and finally won 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal, which was slightly inferior to the 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals in the previous session.
In the women’s singles event, the Chinese team defended its dominance in the Asian Games. The top two seeds Zheng Qinwen and Zhu Lin met in the finals. The Chinese team won the gold and silver medals for two consecutive years and achieved five consecutive championships. In the men’s singles, top seed Zhang Zhizhen won the gold medal. The Chinese team once again won the Asian Games tennis men’s singles championship after 29 years, achieving a major breakthrough. The only regret in the singles event is that the last runner-up Wu Yibing missed the quarterfinals.
Faced with the results, the champion player remained calm. Zhang Zhizhen said: “Some outstanding players did not participate in the Asian Games, and I still need to continue to work hard in the future. There is no best, only better.”
Compared with the shining performance in singles, all doubles combinations of the Chinese team were eliminated early. Although the results were not as good as expected, it was excusable.
The relevant person in charge of the Chinese National Tennis Team said that after this year’s French Open, tennis has entered the points cycle of the Paris Olympics. The Hangzhou Asian Games coincides with the Chinese season of the tennis tour, which is a good opportunity for Chinese players to gain points. Therefore, some team members choose to compete in the international tour. Fighting hard to get a ticket to the Paris Olympics.
The accidental injuries of top players who failed to win also greatly affected their doubles results. Jakarta Asian Games women’s doubles champion Yang Zhaoxuan partnered with Wang Xinyu this time. She retired due to injury during her first appearance, and she also withdrew from the mixed doubles event.
There is joy and regret. Compared with the results, the experience of wearing the national team jersey and participating in the Asian Games with the enthusiastic support of the homeland audience was even more unforgettable for the team members. After the women’s singles final on the 29th, Zheng Qinwen said: “So many Chinese fans cheered for us, which made us very warm.” The scene of the national flag waving in the stadium even moved Zhu Lin to tears.
According to the rules, Zheng Qinwen and Zhang Zhizhen have locked in their qualifications for the Olympics. Looking forward to Paris, Zheng Qinwen said that the Olympic Games are a new challenge and will face competition from outstanding players from around the world. “Although we cannot force the results, we will go all out.”
“Little Lotus” witnesses many wonderful surprises
Reversals, upsets, unparalleled victories, desperate counterattacks… In the past few days, many wonderful scenes have been staged at the Tennis Center. Some famous players have performed steadily, and many rookies have come into people’s sight.
Alexa Eyala, an 18-year-old girl from the Philippines, advanced in two consecutive sets after losing 0:6 in the first set of the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, she saved match points many times and almost defeated Zheng Qinwen. Into a desperate situation. This rising star who has attracted much attention in the Philippines finally won two bronze medals in women’s singles and mixed doubles.
Hong Kong player Huang Zelin saved 5 match points and eliminated Wu Yibing in the third round of men’s singles, which was impressive. Although he failed to break into the top 4 in the end, the young man’s future is worth looking forward to.
The defending men’s doubles champion, Indian player Bopanna, played the men’s doubles with a new partner this time. He was eliminated early in the second round, but he and his teammate Bhosale won the mixed doubles championship. It can be said that something was lost and something was lost. This 43-year-old veteran has already written a legend in the Asian Games.
It is worth mentioning that the Chinese Taipei team achieved a major breakthrough in this Asian Games. It not only won the men’s doubles gold medal for the first time but also won the gold and silver medals in the women’s doubles event and won a silver medal in the mixed doubles. The results were outstanding.
Regardless of victory or defeat, these emotions are worth remembering
Objectively speaking, on a global scale, the level of Asian tennis is not high. In addition, there are no points in the Asian Games, so some tennis masters did not participate. But results aside, the many emotions on the tennis court that have nothing to do with victory or defeat have also become classic memories of the Asian Games.
Looking at the list of contestants, several contestants who are over 40 years old are still active in the competition. Pakistan’s men’s doubles pair Akhil Khan/Qureshi are both 43 years old, and Akhil Khan has competed in seven consecutive Asian Games. Coming to Hangzhou, they were eliminated in the second round of men’s doubles. “We are persisting till now just trying to win a medal for Pakistan,” Qureshi said.
In the men’s singles quarter-finals on September 27, Chinese Taipei player Zeng Junxin suddenly cramped when he was dominant. After treatment, he limped to the finish. Although he didn’t score a point since then, the audience still applauded his fighting spirit.
The 30-year-old Pakistani player Ushna Suhail lost to Zhu Lin in the second round of women’s singles, but after walking out of the arena, she enthusiastically took out her badge and exchanged it with Zhu Lin. She said that it was a rare experience to come to the Asian Games and become friends with athletes from different countries and regions.
On September 25, the 25-year-old Saudi Arabian player Huqbani experienced the highlight of his life when he entered the center court for the first time to face the No. 1 seed Zhang Zhizhen. “I knew I couldn’t beat him, but so many enthusiastic spectators cheered for us, and I was leading 3-0 at one point. It felt like a dream,” he said.
For many athletes, participation is meaningful in itself. The Asian Games will remember those athletes who wore gold and silver and will also leave a memory to them who have been here.
[Editor in charge: Li Tingyu]