China ‘s Zhang Ze may never win a Grand Slam like his countrywoman Li Na did, but given that mainland China has never produced a top-50 male player, the 22-year-old’s run to the Beijing quarterfinals was something to get happy about.
Zhang made history when he became the first Chinese man ever to beat a top-20 player when he upset No. 14 , Richard Gasquet. He later lost to Florian Mayer, but still, to pull off that win in front of the home crowd in a country that has produced three excellent women over the past decade in li, Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai was notable..
“Li Na is our example, as a role model,” he said.
Zhang, who is set to crack the top 130, is also hoping to become the first man from mainland China to crack the top 100 “It is my eventual ambition and goal. I hope to make it possible next year,” he said. “I’ve been able to play more high-level tournaments this year thanks to the ranking I started getting used to the competition and atmosphere on this stage. I have no fear.”
©Daily Tennis News Wire