Going out swinging

Even with some recent flops on the pro circuit sending them into an abrupt nosedive, China's men remain upbeat about being pull back up to cruising altitude, counting on the grind and exposure at home events to fuel the climb.

Just one year apart, the narrative surrounding Chinese men's tennis has taken a dramatic turn, with a string of early exits at home tournaments over the past fortnight leaving fans concerned about the consistency of their countrymen, while lamenting the fleeting successes of a breakout 2024 season.

Injuries, fatigue and a lack of mental stability, which have been hampering the country's top players over the past six months, have taken a heavier toll toward the end of the season, when the highly competitive game's demanding nature rears its head.

China's highest-ever ranked man Zhang Zhizhen, who was at world No 31 in July last year, has fallen back to No 370 this week, after coming back from a long injury break, apparently not fully ready to handle the intensity of the ATP Tour, underscored by two losses in three matches since his return.

The finalist at last year's ATP 250 Hangzhou Open crashed out of the same tournament in the second round on Sept 20, after a straight-sets loss to Czech youngster Dalibor Svrcina, before suffering an opening defeat to Frenchman Terence Atmane at the ATP 500 China Open five days later, with his swing motion still affected by soreness in his injured right shoulder.

"I am a patient person, but in this case, it really makes me mad, especially the beginning part, which was really difficult," Zhang said of his tough rehab from the shoulder injury, which had sidelined him since the end of Indian Wells.

"There are always many things you can not control. Everyone wants to be back to the level where they were, but you have to be patient and you have to do it in the correct way," added Zhang, the first man from the Chinese mainland to break into the world's top 100 in October 2022.

"I don't know how long it takes, but I think the toughest part has passed already. Reflecting on two months ago, what I was doing, it's a big improvement already. I will keep going this way."

Another promising male prospect slowed down by injury woes is last year's Chengdu Open winner Shang Juncheng, who seemed nowhere close to his best either, after failing to defend his title in the Sichuan provincial capital with a second-round loss, followed by an opening defeat in Beijing last week.

Although pain-free now, having recovered from a foot injury, Shang confessed that his "on-and-off" campaign this year has cost his momentum dearly.

"I wasn't able to play as many matches as needed this year, sidelined by injuries during the majority of the season," said Shang, who reached a career-high ranking of No 47 after his Chengdu title run a year ago.

"I do feel good physically, just maybe not quite ready for a tough (three-set) battle like today. But everything is going in a positive direction," Shang said after losing 2-1 to Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in Beijing.

As the only fully healthy ace among the chasing pack, China's current highest-ranked man Buyunchaokete (No 121) has his own hump to get over — taming his emotions when things get hot.

The 23-year-old, who hails from the Mongolian ethnic group in Northwest China, became the biggest surprise during last year's "China Swing", fighting his way to backto-back Tour-level semifinals in Hangzhou and Beijing, becoming the first Chinese man to achieve the feat at consecutive tournaments.

His lack of experience at the elite level, coping with expectation and pressure at a home tournament, made him vulnerable while facing world No 8 Alex de Minaur in the first round in Beijing, where he was routed by the Australian third seed 6-4, 6-0 on the center court on Saturday.

"My emotions got the better of me in the second set, and I just couldn't focus on the match from there," he said. "For sure, I have a lot to improve with my mental game."

Although entering the National Day holiday without any of them ranked within the top 100, Chinese men are embracing another high-profile opportunity during the "Golden Week" holiday to rebound at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Asia's only top-tier ATP 1000 tournament.

Five Chinese players have entered the main draw through rankings or wildcards, led by Buyunchaokete, Shang and Wu Yibing, the 2023 Dallas Open winner, and will test their grit and craft up against world's elite players in their respective first-round battles beginning from Wednesday.

Wu, the only Chinese man having shown any real form recently, is expected to face former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev in the second round in Shanghai, should he pass the opening test against a qualifier.

And he certainly hopes to carry the momentum of stunning the Russian star in the quarterfinals in Hangzhou recently, into an almost instant rematch in Shanghai.

Hangzhou native Wu, advancing to the semis at his hometown tournament on the back of that win, lost to eventual champion Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Medvedev, the 2021 US Open winner, said he'd expected the rise of Chinese men, and believes their climb will continue.

"It's a long way, but, if I see it right, they are better than anyone in their history. It's a good step forward," the 20-time ATP tournament winner said of China's current generation.

"For sure, it's a bit unlucky that they got injured, but they played great. The more they play like they do right now, the more young guys will look at them and want to start playing tennis."

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn