Xinhua News Agency, Perth, Australia, January 1 (Reporter Wang Qi) In the second tennis United Cup match that ended a few days ago, Zhang Zhizhen/Zheng Qinwen lost to Serbian combination Djokovic/Danilovic 6:10 in the "grab ten" game, and the Chinese team finally lost with a total score of 1:2. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency after the game, Wu Di, the captain of the Chinese team, said that participating in this mixed team event was a good growth experience for the two young players, and he believed that they could bring more surprises to fans in the future.
In this year's United Cup, the Chinese team is surrounded by strong opponents in Group E. As the main force, Zhang Zhizhen and Zheng Qinwen dared to fight in the face of players ranked higher in the world, and their performances were remarkable.
In the first round against the Czech Republic, Zhang Zhizhen reversed Lehechka 2:1, Zheng Qinwenlik Wimbledon champion Vondrousova, and the two then lost two sets in straight sets in the mixed doubles, with a total score of 3:0 for the Chinese team to get off to a good start. In the second round against the Serbian team, after Zhang Zhizhen lost to Djokovic, Zheng Qinwen withstood the pressure and defeated Danilovic 6:4, 6:2;
"We have proven ourselves in the first game with a 3-0 win over the strong Czech Republic, and with the recent end [against Serbia], it was not until the end of the 'tie-break' that we were decided. But in the game, we also saw a lot of shortcomings, and we need to go back to adjust and communicate to see if there can be a bigger breakthrough in the future. Wu Di said.
Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is the city where the Chinese team participated in the group stage of the United Cup for the first time, and also witnessed the "lost youth" of captain Wu Di.
From the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2012, Wu Di, who was only 19 years old, followed Li Na to Perth to compete in the Hopman Cup. Wu Di, who has now turned into a coach, remembers this experience vividly. When he saw Zhang Zhizhen and Zheng Qinwen standing on the court in Perth, Wu Di bluntly said, "If Zhang Zhizhen had his current level, (we) might go further or go a few steps further."
"At that time, the Hopman Cup, I dragged my feet, and it was really not strong. At that time, I was very impressed that Sister Na won three games in a row and I lost three games in a row, and each game was a very profound lesson for me. I can still clearly name [lost] to Gasquet, Hewitt and Verdasco. Wu Di said.
Wu Di left Perth with a world ranking outside of 400 without a win, and now, world No. 58 Zhang Zhizhen and career-high No. 14 Zheng Qinwen are playing a 4-2 record here. Wu Di believes that this transformation is inseparable from the foundation laid by generations of predecessors, the good atmosphere for the development of domestic tennis and the unremitting efforts of players.
'There's a good atmosphere at the moment, it's very supportive of the national team and the local team, and now we're on the rise, they're working hard, every game, every day, and they're very clear about what they want to do, so I'm confident they can go further. Wu Di said.
Wu Di said that through the two-day match, through their form when they played against the top 10 players in the world, the potential of Zhang Zhizhen and Zheng Qinwen could be seen. Looking ahead to the new season, Wu Di believes that the United Cup is a good professional match and warm-up match for the two top players of the Chinese team.
For the next four Grand Slams and major events such as the Paris Olympics, Wu Di believes that Zhang Zhizhen and Zheng Qinwen can face them freely. "They are young and very motivated and I believe that with their quality they can surprise the fans more. Wu Di said.