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Agence France-Presse

SCMP Sport

China’s 595th-ranked Zhang Shuai has vowed to play on after her historic run in Beijing was ended by Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
The 35-year-old Zhang, a two-time grand slam singles quarter-finalist who has been plagued by injury, arrived in Beijing on a run of 24 singles defeats in a row.
The painful losing run, stretching more than 600 days, was the second-longest on the WTA Tour in the open era, which began in 1968.
But the former top-25 player finally won a match to start her tournament and then rattled off three more victories to improbably reach the last eight, where former world No 2 Badosa beat her 6-1, 7-6.

With her fellow players including Badosa encouraging her not to give up, Zhang said: “Before my plan was to play more doubles, focus on doubles.
“But now I think I have to change the plan. Paula told me I have to play. Don’t retire.
“After the losing streak I was asking myself as well as my team and my coach if I want to continue my professional career. Should I continue as a doubles player? I did not want that.”
Despite being an elite player, she said she had been turned down to be a coach at a prestigious university in Beijing because she did not have a local residential permit.
“I do not know what I can do after I retire,” she said. “I think the only thing left for me is to continue to be on the tour, to be a professional tennis player. Other than that, what can I do?”

Also on Thursday, Carlos Alcaraz said he had no time to celebrate becoming the China Open champion, taking all his luggage to the stadium then rushing to catch a flight to the ongoing Shanghai Masters.
Alcaraz defeated world No 1 Jannik Sinner on Wednesday night in Beijing, but by noon the next day was already at a press conference in Shanghai.
The 21-year-old had previously said the men’s tennis schedule was “going to kill us”, and that “we have to do something about it”, but on Thursday seemed to rein in his criticism.
“The tennis schedule is so, so tight; we’re travelling from tournament to tournament with just one or two days before the tournament begins, so it is difficult, but we have to get used to it,” the Spaniard said, adding that it was 4am by the time he got to the eastern Chinese city.
Alcaraz will play his first match of the tournament on Saturday against Shang Juncheng, who became only the second player from China to win an ATP Tour singles title when he won the Chengdu Open last month.

Meanwhile, former world No 1 and two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep was knocked out of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis 125 on Thursday by seventh-seeded Russian Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-1.
The Romanian, playing her first tournament in more than four months, was in the tournament as a wild card.
Another wild card, world No 8 Emma Navarro, justified her inclusion and being seeded first by defeating Australia’s Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarter-final, where she will face Blinkova.
Japan’s Nao Hibino, who knocked out second seed Clara Burel in the first round, continued her run into the last eight by beating Hungary’s Dalma Galfi 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, and will now meet Clara Tauson, the sixth seed from Denmark.
The other quarter-finals will see fifth seed McCartney Kessler of the US against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, and fourth seed Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva play Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands.


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WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

China Open: fairy-tale over for Zhang Shuai, Carlos Alcaraz has no time to celebrate title

After winning every set in the previous rounds, China’s Zhang Shuai finally met her match in Paula Badosa of Spain in the China Open quarter-final. Photo: AP

Paula Badosa of Spain (right) hugs Zhang Shuai after winning their quarter-final in straight sets. Photo: AP

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz rushed straight from winning the China Open in Beijing to the Shanghai Masters. Photo: AFP

Danish sixth seed Clara Tauson will meet Japan’s Nao Hibino in a Hong Kong Tennis 125 quarter-final. Photo: Xinhua

China Open: defiant history-maker Zhang Shuai wins 4th match in a row to power into last 8

China’s Zhang Shuai reacts after defeating Poland’s Magdalena Frech to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open. Photo: AFP

Former world No 2 Paula Badosa of Spain made the US’ Jessica Pegula the biggest casualty so far. Photo: AP

Navarro, Halep win in Hong Kong, Sabalenka continues hot streak at China Open in Beijing

Emma Navarro on her way to victory over Viktorija Golubic in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Photo: Clicks Images

Aryna Sabalenka takes selfies with fans after her win. Photo: Xinhua

China Open men’s final: Carlos Alcaraz fights back to beat Jannik Sinner in thriller

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Jannik Sinner in the China Open final in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Carlos Alcaraz (right) greets runner-up Jannik Sinner during the trophy ceremony. Photo: EPA-EFE

China Open: US Open tennis champion Aryna Sabalenka aims to cap off year with No 1 ranking

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus training in Beijing for the China Open, which starts on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

Aryna Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since winning the US Open. Photo: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Jerry Shang wins Chengdu Open, becomes only second Chinese player to claim an ATP title

Jerry Shang became just the second Chinese player ever to win an ATP Tour title at the Chengdu Open. Photo: AFP

Sport

Tennis

History-making home hero finally runs out steam against Paula Badosa, whose fellow Spaniard was ‘running’ to Shanghai Masters after his win


History-making home hero finally runs out steam against Paula Badosa, whose fellow Spaniard was ‘running’ to Shanghai Masters after his win.


ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)