Federer has advantage with Chinese fans

As Roger Federer goes full-tilt in preparation for the 2017 Australian Open he exudes confidence in a strong comeback after missing half of last year's professional tennis season.

His legion of Chinese fans can hardly wait.

"I really don't know how long he can play, but I hope he can at least finish the 2017 season, because a five-month wait is quite long for us," says Lin Shengjie, a diehard fan of the 17-time singles Grand Slam champion from Switzerland.

To fully recover from surgery on his left knee, Federer withdrew from the 2016 season after Wimbledon, taking five months off for the first time in his 20-year career.

Lin, 26, is among his countless avid fans who turn almost every tournament he plays in China into a home-court event - cheering hard between points in matches, and gathering at his hotel lobby and practice court for autographs and adulation.

Federer hasn't opened a personal account on social media in China, but fans have voluntarily set up multiple online communities to share updates and to organize offline interactions with him once he makes himself available.

What they ask in return is quite simple.

"I personally don't mind if he gets another Grand Slam or not. Just watching him play is an enormous pleasure," Lin says.

Zhang Bendou, a veteran tennis writer at Titan Sports in China, attributes Federer's undisputed recognizability in China to the fact that his career upswing coincided with the general ascent of professional tennis in the country since the early 2000s.

"He is popular worldwide, but the Chinese market is of special significance for him. He is a superstar who ascended to career prime during the period when the game began to be promoted and appreciated here," says Zhang, who has followed professional tennis for more than a decade.

"Lots of fans here fell in love with the game watching him. That's a concrete emotional tie."

Lin, who ran an online community for Federer fans from 2007 to 2009, agrees.

"Federer was the best player when tennis was growing dramatically in China," she says. "The past decade saw a boom in the tennis market here. Federer was always at the top. Good timing," she says.

Since first playing in China at the 2002 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, the year-end championship at the time, Federer has come to play in China 11 times, including in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

His flawless skills, elegant style and decent public image off the court soon captured the hearts of Chinese fans.

Although not seen as an Olympic powerhouse, the Swiss athletes received boisterous cheers from the stands at the 2008 opening ceremony, mainly for Federer carrying the Swiss flag.

"Effortless yet deadly shots and smooth footwork - his tennis is beautiful to watch. You can't stay immune. You have to admire his game," Zhang says.

As the darling of fans worldwide, Federer never hesitates to express his gratitude for the support from Chinese fans.

"It's great energy, I must say. It gives me unbelievable motivation. It inspires me to train hard and push further for that particular day, but also wanting to come back again next year, and again and again," the 35-year-old said during the 2013 Shanghai Masters.

Along with Federer, fellow countrywoman Martina Hingis ranks among the best-known Swiss in China - also for accomplishments in tennis.

Building her name on the pro tour ahead of Federer in the 1990s, Hingis still enjoys enduring popularity in China, as demonstrated by her appearance in Beijing to play doubles at the 2016 China Open.

From the first-round of the Premier Mandatory women's event, Hingis' game with partner Coco Vandeweghe, who is virtually unknown in China, was celebrated by boisterous Chinese fans who chanted her name while holding posters adorned with her Chinese nickname "Swiss princess".

"I am already in the Hall of Fame, and I'm still playing in different tournaments, so they still have some memories of me playing, even if it was 10 or 15 years ago. It shows an awareness of the history of the game," says the 36-year-old, who has won five Grand Slam singles and 12 doubles titles since 1997.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn