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Fans can't get enough of the action
By Jia Feishang |
October 10, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THERE are fans and then there are super fans. Xuan Jianxi qualifies as a super fan as he has purchased tickets to ATP Tour events in Shanghai ever since the world's top male players started coming to the city in 1998 for the Heineken Open.
Xuan, a 54-year-old corporate legal adviser, considers these tournaments as a festival almost as important as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Over the years, his passion for the game has evolved and he is a collector of tennis memorabilia.
"I have ticket stubs from every year and they have been autographed by each year's champion and finalists," Xuan says, smiling.
"Even the organizer would have to borrow the commemorative tickets from me."
Xuan is always among the first to buy tickets for past tournaments such as the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup and, now the Shanghai Rolex Masters. This, he says, allowed him to meet some of the organizers and even the players.
During the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup in 2002, Xuan often had coffee at the Hilton Hotel, where most of the players were staying.
"I bumped into (Roger) Federer at the cafe and had a nice chat with him," he says. "I even accompanied him to a shop."
Federer remembers him and says hello if he sees Xuan, says Xuan.
Xuan's love for the game has been passed on to others in his family.
"My wife, my nephew, my aunt and my father-in-law all watch tennis now because of me," Xuan says. "When I watch the games, it's a happy experience. When I watch the repeats, I enjoy the exciting moments and happy memories."
The tennis fan keeps a diary during each tournament and he can recall a lot of details about each tournament.
To show appreciation for Xuan's support over the years, the organizer now sends him free tickets to the tournament. But Xuan insists on buying the tickets himself as it's "my way of showing respect to the players."
When he first watched live tennis in Shanghai, only a small crowd was on hand, but now the sport has a much wider following.
"I'm sure the Shanghai Rolex Masters will become a city name card in 10 years if we keep working hard. Tennis is already quite popular among young people," Xuan adds.
While Xuan is a diehard fan, Wang Xiaoqing describes herself as more of a rational tennis fan.
"I can't think of any crazy experience such as chasing tennis stars around," the 39-year-old Shanghai native says. "Unless asking Roger Federer to sign his autobiography counted, that's the craziest thing I've ever done."
As an unabashed fan of Federer, winner of a record 16 grand slams, Wang, who now lives in Australia, says she likes to add Swiss elements - Federer is from Switzerland - such as red clothing or paint a Swiss national flag on her face every time she goes to one of his matches.
She says her love for tennis came out of the blue as she has never followed any sport before. Once the Heineken Open was held in the city, she says she was hooked.
"I just fell in love with the sport," she says. "I am fascinated by the passion and charm of the players."
If she has time, she stays up all hours to watch tournaments from around the world on TV.
She will be at Qizhong Tennis Center once again this week catching all the action, but she admittedly is a bit disappointed that Federer has pulled out with an injury.
"The matches won't be as exciting without Federer," she says.
Although many fans only love the game as a spectator sport, Wang also plays tennis, usually twice a week.
She says she has joined a tennis club in Australia.
She thinks tennis has a great future in Shanghai and hopes that more older people will learn to appreciate the skill and beauty of the sport.
Xuan, a 54-year-old corporate legal adviser, considers these tournaments as a festival almost as important as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Over the years, his passion for the game has evolved and he is a collector of tennis memorabilia.
"I have ticket stubs from every year and they have been autographed by each year's champion and finalists," Xuan says, smiling.
"Even the organizer would have to borrow the commemorative tickets from me."
Xuan is always among the first to buy tickets for past tournaments such as the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup and, now the Shanghai Rolex Masters. This, he says, allowed him to meet some of the organizers and even the players.
During the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup in 2002, Xuan often had coffee at the Hilton Hotel, where most of the players were staying.
"I bumped into (Roger) Federer at the cafe and had a nice chat with him," he says. "I even accompanied him to a shop."
Federer remembers him and says hello if he sees Xuan, says Xuan.
Xuan's love for the game has been passed on to others in his family.
"My wife, my nephew, my aunt and my father-in-law all watch tennis now because of me," Xuan says. "When I watch the games, it's a happy experience. When I watch the repeats, I enjoy the exciting moments and happy memories."
The tennis fan keeps a diary during each tournament and he can recall a lot of details about each tournament.
To show appreciation for Xuan's support over the years, the organizer now sends him free tickets to the tournament. But Xuan insists on buying the tickets himself as it's "my way of showing respect to the players."
When he first watched live tennis in Shanghai, only a small crowd was on hand, but now the sport has a much wider following.
"I'm sure the Shanghai Rolex Masters will become a city name card in 10 years if we keep working hard. Tennis is already quite popular among young people," Xuan adds.
While Xuan is a diehard fan, Wang Xiaoqing describes herself as more of a rational tennis fan.
"I can't think of any crazy experience such as chasing tennis stars around," the 39-year-old Shanghai native says. "Unless asking Roger Federer to sign his autobiography counted, that's the craziest thing I've ever done."
As an unabashed fan of Federer, winner of a record 16 grand slams, Wang, who now lives in Australia, says she likes to add Swiss elements - Federer is from Switzerland - such as red clothing or paint a Swiss national flag on her face every time she goes to one of his matches.
She says her love for tennis came out of the blue as she has never followed any sport before. Once the Heineken Open was held in the city, she says she was hooked.
"I just fell in love with the sport," she says. "I am fascinated by the passion and charm of the players."
If she has time, she stays up all hours to watch tournaments from around the world on TV.
She will be at Qizhong Tennis Center once again this week catching all the action, but she admittedly is a bit disappointed that Federer has pulled out with an injury.
"The matches won't be as exciting without Federer," she says.
Although many fans only love the game as a spectator sport, Wang also plays tennis, usually twice a week.
She says she has joined a tennis club in Australia.
She thinks tennis has a great future in Shanghai and hopes that more older people will learn to appreciate the skill and beauty of the sport.
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