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Chinese stars seek their own path to tennis greatness
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CHINESE wildcard holder Wu Di feels more pressure after his Japanese counterpart’s historic performance at the US Open.
The 23-year-old Wu is one of two Chinese male players who were granted wildcards by the tennis management office of the China State General Sports Administration for this year’s Shanghai Rolex Masters. The other place belongs to Bai Yan.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, earlier last month, was the first Asian man to reach a grand slam singles final. Nishikori’s performance “earned face” for Asian male players, who have often been considered less competitive compared to their female counterparts.
Wu says he needs a better coach to reach the next level.
“I need help from a good coach. A professional career is not something a player does alone, and good coaching is indispensable,” Wu says.
Wu’s national teammate Zhang Ze is coached by 51-year-old Joakim Nystrom, a former top 10 player from Sweden who won 13 singles titles during his professional career.
Wu says he continues his search for a good foreign coach.
“It’s just as difficult as finding a suitable girlfriend,” he says, joking. “I know a few good foreign coaches in China, but they have already been hired by other players. I can only keep looking.”
Wu says he has intensified his training regime and had been watching match videos of Asian players including those from Japan.
Wu considers his playing style similar to Nishikori, who completed a historic 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in New York in the US Open semifinals. The result was hailed by public broadcaster NHK as “an unprecedented achievement for Japan.”
Nishikori, 24, is now eighth in the ATP world rankings (as of September 15), the highest among Asian players. China’s highest ranked male player is Zhang (No. 190) while Wu is No. 207.
Wu reached a peak of No. 160 back in May 2013. That year, he became the first Chinese male player to advance into a grand slam tournament at the Australian Open. He also won gold medals in both singles and doubles at the National Games.
Apart from Wu, some Chinese fans also think Nishikori’s fast playing style suits Chinese players. Overall, Chinese players tend to be less powerful, but they have the speed and agility to cause problems for opponents.
“The style can be partially learned, but it can’t be imitated by our players,” says Jiang Wei, coach of the Chinese tennis team, who also likes Nishikori’s playing style.
“One has to react and move quickly. (The playing style) is also very demanding and depends greatly on a player’s return of serve. Andre Agassi also played this kind of tennis.”
Jiang says this playing style doesn’t suit tall players like Zhang, who is 188 centimeters, as they are usually not quick enough. Nishikori is 178cm and Wu is 173cm.
Apart from hiring foreign coaches, Japan’s top tennis players have been learning from their Western counterparts in all aspects including nutrition and training methods.
“China’s tennis has its own characteristic. We haven’t been in the professional era for that long compared to others. What we have achieved isn’t easy and time is what we need,” Jiang says.
The coach thinks Zhang and Wu already have the ability to challenge the world’s top 100 players. What they lack is consistency or the ability to maintain a high level in big tournaments.
In an earlier interview, when asked about suggestions for his Chinese counterparts, Nishikori suggested players be given more opportunities to take part in tournaments around the world.
Nishikori said he played and trained in the US and other countries, which proved extremely helpful.
The China Tennis Association does send players abroad for matches. Players like Zhang and Wu receive up to 400,000 yuan (US$65,705) in financial support from the sports administration every year to compete in national and international matches.
However, acquiring visas is time consuming and limits the number of tournaments they can compete in. Jiang says Chinese players have to return to China and apply for a new visa before heading to the next destination.
According to Jiang, Zhang and Wu have also benefited from preferential policies even though they are still governed by the national system. They are free to look for sponsorships from sports apparel makers or other companies and don’t have to hand over the income to the authority.
“Most domestic enterprises prefer short-term investments, while some foreign players have had corporate sponsorships since they were very young, which guaranteed their development.”
Jiang thinks a professional environment and a commercialized system will benefit China’s male players. He believes that once such a system is in place, the country’s male players will crack the world’s top 100.
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