China Counting On Zhang Shuai

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 2nd October 2013

China Counting On Zhang Shuai

epa03237922 Shuai Zhang of China returns to Angelique Kerber of Germany during their first round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 27 May 2012. EPA/CAROLINE BLUMBERG |

China already has a Grand Slam singles champion in Li Na, but the country’s top singles player is aging and there is hope that Zhang Shuai will be the next player out of that country to have major impact on the tour. The 24 year old recently won Guangzhou and reached the final of Ningbo, pushing her ranking to a career high No. 66. Her compatriot, Zheng Jie, says that she has top 30 potential.

“My goal this year, first of all, I would push to top 100,” said Zhang who upset Peng Shuai in the first round of Beijing. “Already scored this goal. The second goal is I’m going to top my best ranking, which is No. 73. After that, my next goal is to break into top 50.

“I hope to realize those goals one by one. Of course I’m expected to be top 30, top 10, even World No. 1, but it takes time to reach this goal. Rome was not built in a day. I hope to bring my best performance. Those are my future goals. I’m really thankful, or grateful, to Zheng Jie for her nice words towards my performance. First of all, I have to make sure that for every single match, every single day, I’m practicing and playing with my best practice so the result will come naturally.”

Zhang’s coach at the Chinese Tennis Federation has said that if she doesn’t push her student that she will never achieves her goals. Some players need gentle prodding, others a hard shove.

Last year, Zhang had called herself ‘a flower that was not yet ready to bloom.’ Now the Chinese press is calling her the “flower that is blooming.”

“ I like that nickname, because this is token that you like me and that’s why you want to give my those nicknames,” she told the local press. “You’re welcome to give me more nicknames. Actually I know that many people expect me to have a very good performance, and sometimes they’re even more worried than I am. They’re too rushed to exceed more success from me. Those nicknames are a very good symbolization of the good wishes from the fans.

While Zhang is on a nice run, she has yet to win a first round match at a major, which means she has a very long way to go before she can be called an elite player. She admits that she tends to worry, but she’s optimistic about her future.

“If my performance is not good, definitely I have potential worry,” she said. “I definitely push myself. I have trepidation as well about my performance. The good news is that I hold on. For the Grand Slams for next season, I think first of all I’m going to win the first round. A lot of opponents in the past three weeks, most of them are the professionals in the main draw.

So if I can win over those professional players, I don’t think my first victory in the first round of the Grand Slam will come pretty late. Sometimes based on luck I can try to win over those top-level professional players. But now I have more confidence that whoever the opponent is, my confidence of winning over them is getting stronger and stronger, no matter I’m going to win the first round or not in a Grand Slam tournament.”

Topics: 10sballs, Grand Slam, Li Na, Peng Shuai, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Zhang Shuai, Zheng Jie