Intrepid Zhang blazes a trail

Chinese ace enjoys deep run in Paris despite travel woes

Zhang Shuai's risky and troublesome trip to Paris has proved worthwhile after the Chinese ace reached the French Open fourth round for the first time with a typically gutsy display on Saturday.

With the rest of her compatriots opting out of the resumed season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhang made the long journey to the French capital count by outlasting local wildcard Clara Burel 7-6(2), 7-5 in two hours and 12 minutes to set up a clash against seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova.

The victory saw Zhang become the first Chinese to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros since former winner Li Na did so in 2012.

Tianjin native Zhang almost didn't make it to Europe from New York, where she lost in the first round of the US Open, due to a visa issue related to coronavirus regulations. She eventually got the green light to make the trip just two days before her next tournament in Rome began on Sept 14, leaving her barely any time to adjust from hard to clay courts.

"I got the visa a week after I lost at the US Open. I stayed in New York at the official hotel, and I practiced on the US Open's hard courts, waiting," said Zhang.

"I have maybe only one chance to come to Europe. When I got my passport from the embassy, we bought the tickets and we flew to Rome. We had to quarantine 24 hours, and then I practiced only one hour. And the next day I started to play."

Zhang's determination to get to Europe despite the sizable obstacles and inconveniences in her way is typical of the perseverance that has defined her career.

After three consecutive first-round losses in Cincinnati, New York and Rome since resuming her 2020 campaign, Zhang will be looking to equal her best performance at a Grand Slam on Monday, having made major quarterfinals twice before－at the 2016 Australian Open and last year's Wimbledon.

Zhang, who learned her trade on hard courts, is attempting to take her deepest run at the clay Slam in her stride.

"I don't think too much on court and even off the court. I just relax and keep doing the same things," she said.

Zhang's next opponent, 2012 semifinalist Kvitova, overcame 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the fourth round in Paris for a fifth time.

A shock victory over the Czech Republic's two-time Wimbledon champion would be one of the highlights of Zhang's late-blooming career.

The 31-year-old ended an eight-year, 14-match first-round losing streak at the Slams in 2016 with a quarterfinal run in Melbourne.

During Zhang's lean years, Li rose to stardom by winning the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open titles before retiring due to a knee injury.

Reflecting on her tough win against the 19-year-old Burel－a player she beat 6-3, 7-6 at the Strasbourg Open before coming to Paris－Zhang said: "The match today I think we both played really well and it was a really great match. She played unbelievably good.

"Despite it being just a week ago, she has improved a lot since we met last. She is very young, but has got everything on the court. Last time in Strasbourg, she didn't play so steadily. But this time I could feel her confidence was higher after winning two rounds at a Grand Slam."

Zhang credited advice from her longtime coach, Liu Shuo, for her dominance at the net, where she won 22 points against Burel.

"I try to build my tennis like this and try to, as instructed by my coach, to come to the net and finish points early," she said.

"But sometimes it's working, sometimes not. I still learn and try to improve. From this match I can get more confidence. I am really happy about the last two matches. I won a lot points at the net."