Chinese tennis, which had been waiting for the Asian Games men's singles title for 29 years, was finally won by Zhang Zhizhen.
Amid deafening cheers from the audience, he held the national flag high to thank the court, and the Chinese delegation won its second gold medal in tennis.
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Zhang Zhizhen was interviewed after the game and confessed that he was very excited. Video Editor Xu Chuli (00:22)
Although teammate Wu Yixiang failed to make it to the end, and the Chinese team failed to win gold and silver in the men's singles event like the women's singles final, in the eyes of Zhang Zhizhen and all tennis spectators, this gold medal is another proof of the rise of China's men's tennis.
Next, the ST Asian Games champion will continue to chase his dream and strive to break into the world's top 50. At the same time, he also has high hopes for more young people, "I hope that the new generation of Chinese players can get better and better and surpass us." ”
Zhang Zhizhen and the Chinese men's tennis are constantly breaking upwards.
Blood counterattack, ignited the audience
Due to a light rain on September 30, the Hangzhou "Little Lotus" court, which held the men's singles final of the Asian Games tennis, closed its roof. Compared to the bright sun of the previous day, the light in the venue looked a little gloomy.
And when Zhang Zhizhen was broken twice in the first set and fell behind 1-4 at one point, the atmosphere in the stadium fell to freezing for a while.
From the perspective of world rankings, Zhang Zhizhen, who was ranked 60th before the match, did not have a significant advantage over his opponent Yosuke Mianguan, who was ranked 77th, and the two who had not played on tour before staged an encounter this time.
The cheering sound in the stadium seemed to bring Zhang Zhizhen not enthusiasm at this moment, but pressure.
But it was also at such moments that Zhang Zhizhen showed the "big heart" trait many times on the tour, and broke out again.
Zhang Zhizhen won this precious gold medal for the Chinese men's tennis.
Today's Zhang Zhizhen and his self, who missed the match point seven times last year at the US Open, have long been separated from two - defeating the world's top ten player Fritz in three saves at the match point, and defeating last year's runner-up Ruud in five sets at the US Open... In the face of top players, Zhang Zhizhen has proven time and again that he can not be afraid of the stage.
As he himself said in an interview, these high-intensity competitions not only improve his skills and tactics, but also his confidence. In this final at home in China, he did not disappoint everyone.
After 1-4, they won five consecutive games and won 6-4 in one breath. Such a bloody counterattack completely ignited the entire stadium, and the earth-shaking cheers surrounded the audience for three laps that had not stopped...
With the support of the audience, Zhang Zhizhen finally continued his efforts in the second set to win two sets, and also achieved the first Asian Games men's singles gold medal in 29 years for the Chinese men's tennis.
Zhang Zhizhen prepares to serve during the game.
Chinese men's nets, step by step
Winning the gold medal all the way, Zhang Zhizhen believes that there is not only a tough battle in the final.
'Not only this game, but this week has been very difficult, but I'm happy that I was able to play better and higher from the first game.
"I was a little nervous at the beginning and didn't adjust too well, but I knew I could play better, so I calmed down in the end and changed the course of the game."
And Zhang Zhizhen's tenacity also made his opponent Yosuke Mianguan feel helpless - "I lost control a little, after all, this is a final, so I am a little nervous, and being reversed in the first set is a turning point in this match, and it is also a place where I regret it." ”
Zhang Zhizhen carefully folded the national flag after the game.
For Zhang, it was his first Asian Games gold medal, and while it didn't bring tour points, the frantic celebration after winning the match point was enough to show how much he took the honor.
After raising the flag to greet the audience, he carefully folded the flag neatly and put it back in his bag - in his opinion, his gold medal will never be the end.
"I think the Chinese men's tennis can be better, and I hope that the new generation of Chinese players can get better and better and surpass us."
"It's good to have more young people in this circle [men's professional tennis], and I don't know how many of them will go to the top of the tennis world, but I would like to see more teenagers go down this path." It's not easy, but it's worth trying. ”
Indeed, Zhang Zhizhen, Wu Yixiang, Shang Juncheng... The emergence of a group of outstanding Chinese male tennis players has brought Chinese men's tennis into an era of prosperity, and their existence is destined to attract more people to enter tennis.
"This is the result of the hard work of our male players from generation to generation, and it is also a kind of accumulation." Xie Miqing, director of training and anti-doping at the Tennis Management Center of the General Administration of Sports, told reporters.
"The breakthrough of these male players is very large, and we hope that more young players and teenagers will join our tennis program."
Zhang Zhizhen roared angrily to celebrate the victory.
Bigger goals
In the past two years, the Chinese men's tennis has made history again and again.
Zhang Zhizhen first broke into the top 100 in the world rankings; Wu Yixiang and Zhang Zhizhen jointly held the all-time record of playing a Grand Slam to the third round; Zhang Zhizhen reached the quarterfinals of the Masters; Wu Yixiang won the tour in Dallas...
Now, with this gold medal as an incentive, Zhang Zhizhen said that he will be more motivated to face the next goal.
"My goal will not change, I want to improve my ranking to within the top 50 in the world."
For the rest of the season, Zhang plans to compete in Shanghai, Tokyo, Basel and Paris. More effort, more breakthroughs, this is what he expects from himself.
Looking back on Zhang Zhizhen's 2023 season, he has indeed gained a lot, unlocking four Grand Slam main draw spots, reaching the round of 32 at the French Open and US Open, reaching the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters and the semifinals of the Hamburg 500... THE MIRACULOUS PERFORMANCE OF CONSTANTLY BREAKING RECORDS MADE ZHANG ZHIZHEN SURPRISED BY THE MEDIA AND FANS WITH THE NICKNAME "AMAZZZING".
ZHANG'S SHOES ARE PRINTED WITH "AMAZZZING."
And this exclusive title also appeared in Zhang Zhizhen's customized combat boots for the Asian Games - K· SWISS Ultrashot 3 China Season Special Edition.
THE OUTSIDE OF THESE BOOTS, DESIGNED FOR ZHANG ZHIZHEN, IS PRINTED WITH THE STRIKING WORD "AMAZZZING". Zhang Zhizhen's life motto "deeds speak louder than words" is printed on the tongue Chinese of the shoe, and the color scheme also adopts a special color scheme for the Chinese season.
K· SWISS has long focused on the field of tennis, K· SWISS Ultrashot 3 has also accompanied players including Zhang Zhizhen, Norrie, signed player Etchevili and others in the tennis world - good stability and flexibility, as well as the ability to adapt to all types of venues, is also one of the reasons why players can relax in the game.
With the improvement of results, the outside world's expectations for Zhang Zhizhen have also risen, and Zhang Zhizhen, who has created a lot of history, will not stop, "I will continue to work the ATP Tour after that." ”