- Chinese men’s tennis players eager to advance to first round of Australian Open
- 2023-01-16 13:25:27.0 Source: Xinhuanet
The 2023 Australian Open will be held from the 16th to the 29th of this month. In the men’s singles, Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yibing will join hands with the 17-year-old Shang Juncheng who broke through the qualifying round. This is the first time since the Open Era that three men’s singles players from mainland China will participate in the Grand Slam. For the upcoming first-round competition, what expectations do they have?
The 26-year-old Zhang Zhizhen is the first male player from mainland China to break into the top 100 in the world. In this year’s Australian Open, he directly entered the main match through his ranking and became the first male player from mainland China to enter the main match of a Grand Slam by virtue of his ranking since the Open Era. . On the 17th, he will face the American teenager Shelton to attack his first Grand Slam victory. “(I hope I) try my best to win my first Grand Slam victory, and I wish the other two good luck.”
Wu Yibing advanced to the top 32 in last year’s US Open, setting a record for the best result of a Chinese men’s singles player in a Grand Slam. On the 16th, he will face the French left-hander Moutat. In last year’s U.S. Open qualifying round, Wu Yibing defeated his opponent in straight sets.
“I know this opponent better, and his characteristics are actually very distinct. He is a left-handed player and has a very strong running ability. I need to focus on my tactical performance and maintain a certain amount of patience in the stalemate. I think the round ball will definitely not Less.” Wu Yibing said.
The young player Shang Juncheng said frankly that this Australian Open is not only his first time to participate in an adult Grand Slam, but also his first time to play a best-of-five-set match, so he will try to lower his expectations for results. “I hope this Australian Open can bring me a different experience. I will try my best to fight against my opponents, focus on every point, and play point by point.”
Wu Yibing is very much looking forward to Shang Juncheng’s performance. He said: “I hope he can continue to maintain his good performance in the qualifying rounds, so that everyone can see that our young Chinese players also have great potential.”
“For us, no opponent is easy to face in the Grand Slam. I hope the three of us can play well and break into the second round together.” Wu Yibing said.