Sideline Story

Who should we keep eyes on at the China Open?

Top tennis talents are gathering in Beijing for the 2024 China Open, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. What can we expect from the Zheng Qinwen-led Chinese delegation at the tournament? Who can stand out in the tough men’s competition? Also in this episode, we look back at the history of the China Open and discuss what makes it a unique event.

Broadcast on:: 27 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: other

(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to a sidelines to our regular destination for sports news, analysis and discussions, Emi Yangguang. For this week, we're going to have a chat on the tennis China Open. How has the tournament evolved? Which players should we check out in this year's events? To unpack the questions I'm joined here with my co-hosts, Tanyu and Brandon Gates via video. All right, 20 years now since the inaugural China Open back in 2004. Two decades on, the one small tournament has now evolved into a WTA-1000 event on the women's tour, which is second only to grand slam events. And on the men's side it's now an ATP 500 events attracting top players to Beijing every year. The total price money of the 2024 tournament has risen to over 1.3 million US dollars. The highest of a tournament of the same level, Tanyu witnessed the solid growth of the China Open. It's now a holy place for tennis fans in China. So from your side of things, what makes the China Open so special? Because if we take a look at back at the timeline, the tournament has grown so much. - Yeah. So first of all, the China Open is one of the biggest and highest ranking tennis tournaments in Asia. It has attracted, like you said, a large number of players from all of the world. And among them, you can see many household names like this year, like Yannick Center, Kalos Akras, Irina Sablanca, and of course our homegrown talent, Jun Xing Wen. And I think the number of these top players taking part in the China Open is a big testament to the prestige of the tournament. And also, what makes the China Open so unique is that it is the only tournament that is named after a country in Asia. - Yeah. - Yeah, and actually it has come a long way since its foundation 20 years ago, is development actually going size with the growth of Chinese tennis. So 20 years ago, when Lina first raised the, the first WTA singles trophy for China, Tanyu's was still a niche sport in the country. Not many people were following the event in China, but after 20 years, we have seen the emergence of a bunch of Chinese tennis talents, such as the likes of Jun Xing Wen and Zhang Jie Jin. And the China Open has also been constantly upgrading as well. So the value for the tournament, the Diamond Court now has a retractable roof, and it's both a 15,000 seat stadium. And also it is now one of the few tennis courts that are equipped with the VAR system to allow for more just and accurate referee decision. - Yeah, correct me if I'm around. I think the Diamond venue of the China Open is the first venue to use the hook eye after the US Open. - Yeah, so with these kind of technological upgrades, I think the tournament is receiving more and more attention and emphasis from both players and Tanyu's fans. And last year, the tournament has attracted over 200,000 people to come and come to the court and watch the games on the spot. And this year, the number is expected to rise further. So I think the tournament along with Chinese tennis has really come a long way since 20 years ago. And we are seeing a surging interest from Chinese people willing to engage in tennis, which is really a promising sign. - Yeah, the China Open really has risen to the next level, alongside the development of Chinese tennis. Since Li Na and now we have changed in a couple of really talented Chinese tennis players. These growth is very consistent with the growth of the tournament. Brandon, we visited the training courts of the Chinese tennis center last year until we had the chance to swing some racket there. Even though it's not the official venue for the China Open, it's very close to diamond arena. And we saw some footprints left by some legendary names in tennis there. From your side of things, what kind of impression do you have on the China Open, the venues, the stadiums? - Well, I mean, while we were out there, young one, we did attempt a couple of practice swings, but I don't think either of us have the potential to be professionals, but I wish we did, because that prize money sounds very, very appealing indeed. And look, I think it's just a testament to the growth of the tournament. I think like Tian Yu mentioned, it's coincided with the growth of tennis in China. And I think that's been fantastic to watch over the last 20 years. And 20 years does sound like a long time, but honestly, with the growth and success that the China Open and Chinese tennis has been able to achieve in that time, it's pretty remarkable. We've seen the emergence of incredible top tier talent from China starting with Li Nhan. Of course, we now have our superstar in Jiang Chen Wen. And with the increased interest in tennis in China and with the increased growth of the China Open with regards to attendance, the incredible stadium that's on offer, the technology that's implemented every year, it becomes a lot more exciting. And I think 2024 could potentially be the biggest year for the China Open. So it's going to be very, very exciting to watch. But I think also something that makes the China Open very unique is that a lot of tennis fans that will be tuning in or coming to Beijing to watch the action unfold, they may have never been exposed to the rich culture that China has to offer. And I think that's going to be a very exciting and important element of the China Open, not just this year, but going forward into the future. So it's going to be really exciting to watch the tournament. It's going to be able to see the top Chinese tennis talent as well as the top international talent, but also have the opportunity to showcase China's rich culture to the fan thought in attendance in Beijing and for everybody that's tuning in around the globe. - Yeah, I think if my memory doesn't fail me, I think there was a year when the top male players, they wore traditional Chinese costumes, and I've seen one of the events held in China. I can't remember the Shanghai Masters or ATP Finals in China, but it's very unique to see those players wearing the Chinese costumes. It's like the traveling back in time. But I guess for Chinese players, the China Open is really a home for them, especially for those who constantly play some tour internationally when it comes to September. They all know, okay, I'm coming home for the China Open. It really gives them a sense of going back to where you started. I think the influence of the China Open has been on the rise of the years. Look at the roster of the VCS tournament. Seven of the top 10 women's players are in Beijing for the women's competition. And the men's competition includes the top three, the full top three players, Janik Sinok, Carlos Elkeris, and Alexander Ceviraf. Of course, Novak Djokovic has skipped. I had the China Open once again. I guess the reason is that he's already the most successful player at the China Open male or female with five men's singles titles. So he really doesn't need to prove anything anymore on this court. And he promised to play at Shanghai Masters in this year, which is on heels of the China Open. So I think it's reasonable for him at this age to escape the event in Beijing. But at the end of the day, the China Open is more about the WTA tour because it's now a WTA-1000 event. Talking about the women's players, Jun Xingwen plays at the China Open for the first time as a seated player. She's now absolutely the leading force in Chinese tennis. Brandon, do you think Jun Xingwen has the potential to go all the way at the China Open? - I think she does. I think we've seen some very impressive performances from Jun Xingwen lately. Of course, we will always mention the Olympic gold in Paris for 2024. That was an unbelievable performance where she showcased her talents, but also showcased the growth that she's had in terms of her mental strength, which I think is going to be very, very important for her going forward. And something that excites me about Jun Xingwen is that she still is very young and the talent is undeniable. And I think having the talent and just needing to work on one or two elements of her game and the mental strength when it comes to semi-finals and finals at big tournaments, I think that's something that's easier to work on rather than having a lack of talent. So I'm hoping that at this year's China Open, we're going to see a refreshed Jun Xingwen because I'm also hoping that she's had the chance to rest from a very tiresome 2024 season. I'm hoping that we're going to see her a little bit stronger, having worked on her serves and her backhand. And I'm hoping we're also going to see a lot less unforced errors from her. But when it gets to crunch time, like when she faces her big opponent, Arina Savalenko, who is incredibly strong, incredibly accurate, I hope in those moments, she can showcase her best level in terms of her talent, as well as staying calm, remaining resilient and mentally tough in those moments. And I think then we will see the best of Jun Xingwen at the China Open. And if we do see that, I think she has all the potential to go all the way and lift that trophy. - Right. Talking about playing our home soil, Jun Xingwen did it once to take the title at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year. Can you do you think she could do it again in Beijing? - Well, yeah, but like Brandon mentioned, I think we can agree here that Jun has now bumped into the biggest opponent of her career right now, which is who is Arina Savalenko. 'Cause she has been defeated by Savalenko twice this year. And in both occasions, she lost the battles with no hopes of winning. And Savalenko was clearly her opponent right now. She has a stronger body with a better strength, both in serves and receiving the ball. - Yeah, what a headache. (laughs) - So she has, but as we talked about in early episodes, I think even though Savalenko was those kinds of players that are hard to deal with for Jun, there are still some aspects in her game that to improve. So they can, she better be prepared when facing Savalenko, like Brandon just mentioned, maybe reducing the unforced errors during the games. And also, like we talked about how she could diversify her arsenal and maybe add more drop shots to her game or sharpen her backhand skills. So now Jun has been drawn to the same half with Savalenko in the China Open, which means she could be very likely to face Savalenko head on in the semi-final. While a lot of fans are currently looking down on her winning prospects, I think Jun still stands a chance, 'cause we know that Iga Shwontag was once six-nil over Jun before the Paris Olympics. But in that very decisive game, Jun proved herself and overturned her deficit and completed an impressive comeback in that game. So I think if Jun could keep level-headed throughout the game, like Brandon said, reduce unforced errors and just don't get panicked when falling behind and wait patiently for chances to fight back, she still had a lot of chance to win. And if she could win over Savalenko, I think the China Open title or the first graslam title could be on the horizon for Jun Ching-wen. - Right, my suggestions for Jun Ching-wen here would be more about the mental side of things, instead of technique side of things. I think, in my point of view, if Jun Ching-wen plays her normal level, at least she could break into the top eight at the China Open. I know it's far from fans' expectations, but still it's AWTA-1000 events when it comes down to the stage of the last 16, the last eight, it's no different than the graslam. The best of the best players are in Beijing, don't forget that. As you guys both mentioned, Jun Ching-wen is in the same half with Arina Savalenko. Savalenko has become the new, bitter rival for Jun Ching-wen at this stage of her career, because in the old days, it was Iga Shvian-Tak. And Jun Ching-wen lost to Arina Savalenko twice in big occasions this year, first in the Australian Open final, then the US Open quarter final. But I think Jun Ching-wen is very capable of overcoming this adversity, just like what she did at Paris Olympics by beating Iga Shvian-Tak in straight sets in the semifinals. As I said before, I really think Jun Ching-wen just needs to beat the top-top players a couple of times, like Shvian-Tak, Savalenko, Raimakina, just a couple of times, it would be enough to really gain this confidence to truly believe in herself that she belongs in the top five, even top three in the world. So I'm very personally optimistic about her future, and I really think she has the potential to win the China Open, if not this year, then in the future, definitely she could do it. But besides Jun Ching-wen, there's a quite big Chinese contingent this year and the China Open. Tian Yu, who else in this Chinese players lists are you keeping your eyes on? Well, the first name out of my head must be Shao Jin-Chun, who just won an ATP event in Chengdu for the first time in his career. So now he has become the second Chinese male tennis player to win an ATP trophy after Wu Yi being. So we have been hearing his name for a lot in the recent two years. And two years ago, he was still an obscure young Chinese player fighting for a chance to play on the Grand Slam event. And now his world rankings has surged to number 52, which was really a remarkable achievement as he's only 19 years old now. And in the third round of the US Open this year, he lost to Casper Rood, but he managed to win the first two sets and performed really aggressively throughout the whole game. So I think this young man has got great potential in himself and he will definitely be something in the near future if he just keeps going on the right track of his career. - Right, don't forget he used to be to vote number one in the junior group. - Yeah, yeah, that's a promise. - That tells a lot. - Yeah, and also another, talking about young players with great potential, Wu Yin Chao-Kutur should also count as one of them. His name is really hard to pronounce, maybe for a fellow Mongolian. It's quite easy for me to be a queen chapter. You teach us how to do it. - I'm not going to try it, I'm not going to cry. - So yeah, he came from Xinjiang Autonomous Region in China. And in the recent Hangzhou Open, he and Zhang Jijan had an amazing showdown in the semi-final. Even though he lost eventually to a more experienced Zhang, a lot of the fans, including me, have been quite impressed by his performance. His serving skills are pretty amazing, and he has a very solid baseline play. So, fighting into number 100 in world ranking right now, I think he also has great potential in making more breakthroughs for China in men's tennis. - Right, a couple of years ago, they emerged a group of female players from China. And now more and more male players have come into spotlight and let everyone know them. But in China and Zhang Jijan, they are all prospects that fans can expect in the future in Chinese tennis. And this year, at the China Open, I believe they can have their runs really go deep in the tournament. Brandon, any Chinese names who are paying attention to the China Open? - I think Zhang is definitely going to be the one that excites me the most, because while I am definitely going to be keeping my attention on the China Open this year, I'm also looking into the future. And I think his victory in Chengdu is going to be absolutely massive for him. And like Tian Yu mentioned, breaking into jumping up to, I think it was number 52, you said. I think that's an incredibly remarkable achievement for such a young talent. And I think he could potentially be the male in Chinese tennis that could be the one that leads China's progression in the future. And we also mentioned that the US Open, he showed incredible resilience against the lives of Casper Roode. And I think he exceeded everybody's expectations at that tournament. And getting that victory in Chengdu will just give him that confidence, going into the future that he can face top tier competition, he can compete at the highest level, and he can win titles and perform at his best in finals. - So I'm hoping that he has a very strong run at the China Open, but I think we're going to see the best of him in the next maybe two, three, four, five years. But I think he's going to be somebody that we need to watch in terms of Chinese men's tennis going forward, and hopefully in a couple of years' time, he can reach the levels that Junction Wind has already reached at such a young age. - Right, remember, who Xiao Jin Cheng beat at the Chengdu Open in the final was Musetti, who used to beat Novak Jokovic on the tour. So it's quite remarkable for Xiao Jin Cheng, the 19-year-old sensation. Talking about the men's players, as I said, the world's top three men's players are in Beijing for the China Open. Yan Exina, the defending champion, is absolutely the title favorite, and he's gained a lot of fans in China, actually. And he just backed the US Open title. Brandon, do you think that will help him at the China Open, and even the following Shanghai Masters? - Absolutely, I think he's on fire right now, and I think the confidence that he gained from last year's victory as well as his victory at the US Open, it definitely gives him a great chance of going all the way and lifting the title at the China Open this year. I also think the fact that Novak Jokovic isn't there. Look, I know we've spoken about Jokovic and the fact that he's aging and he's at the tail end of his career, but like you mentioned, Yang Guang, he's the most successful player ever at the China Open, and I think that not having him there will give Yan Exina a lot more confidence, not that he probably needs any confidence, because like I said, he was so dominant last year with his victory as well as his most recent victory at the US Open. So I think Yan Exina definitely will face some tricky competition at the China Open, but he is without a doubt the favorite to go on and lift the title, and I personally think he will do so again this year. - Yeah, can you, would it be another year for Yan Exina's title run, or someone else could start him? - Well, yeah, we've been talking about this play for quite some time, and I think Sinner has really become another player, I like Brendan mentioned, after beating Novak Jokovic in the Australian Open Semifinal this year, and he proved that he has the ability and mindset to wing over the big three, and even though Aukras was dominating in the French Open and Wimbledon this year, Sinner has shown really some convincing performance on the hard court, and don't forget the pressure he was facing coming to the US Open as he had been mired in the doping scandal. - Right, yeah. - Just before the tournament started, but he sustained all the pressure and went on to win the trophy, and I think that is a big proof of how much improvement he has made in his mindset, and I would say he's one of the biggest, if not the biggest title contender at this year's China Open. - Yeah, so when I think, you know, when it comes to Yan Exina look in 2024, he's had a fantastic season, and he's been probably one of the most consistent male tennis players on the tour, and has been, you know, ranked number one, and has had incredible successes, but that being said, I think he's also very fatigued, and he's also dealt with some controversies off the court. He had, you know, those doping allegations that he was dealing with, and, you know, dealing with that sort of thing cannot be easy, but he has been able to get through that and show some really consistent, really strong performances, so I think he's definitely the favorite when it comes to the men's draw at the China Open. That being said, I also think that Carlos Alcoraz is probably going to be one of Sinus Fierce's competitors at the competition. I think that Alcoraz will be very confident considering the performances that he's shown in 2024. I'm sure he will have been absolutely devastated with his overall result at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he claimed a silver medal against Novak Djokovic, but I also think that will inspire him, and I'm sure that he will want to come back fighting and, you know, go on to win as many titles as he can before the end of the season and get himself ready for the 2025 season. So I think that's looking at the men's draw for the China Open, like I said, with Djokovic dropping out, I think, Sinner and Carlos Alcoraz are the two names that really jump out for me in terms of who are going to be the favorites to go on and lift the title. Of course, with it being in China and in Beijing, you know, we all want to see some really top performances from some of China's biggest stars, I think of Zhang Jie Jin. He's been very inconsistent this season, but I think that he has the talent and experience to maybe shock some of the bigger names at the China Open. So hopefully we can see a really fantastic performance from him or also, you know, Shang-Jung Cheng who had that really great performance at the US Open and showed some real resolve against some really high class talent. Look, I don't really expect to see him go all the way at the China Open, but I will definitely be keeping my eyes on him at this tournament to see if he can't potentially cause one or two upsets and hopefully we can see progression from him at every tournament that he plays and maybe going into the future, he can rise to the ranks of, you know, the likes of Zhang Chen Wen and B China's next big star, but this time in the men's game. So yeah, I think the China Open is going to be very, very exciting. I think there's a lot of international talent on the men's side that are going to be very exciting to watch. I also think there's some local talent that can also hopefully, you know, cause a few upsets and go further in the competition than we expect. And looking at the rest of the season, I mean, there isn't much left for 2024. I think, you know, the likes of Cine and Alcaras on the men's side of things are probably also going to be the ones that sweep up the remaining titles before we move into next season. But looking at this China Open, I think it's going to be an outstanding event. I think we're going to see some fantastic tennis. - Right. We will see if the Chinese players, including Zhang Chen Wen and a couple of other Chinese names can bring out their best performers. And if Yannick Cine can retain his title and the China Open. But with that, we end this episode of "Sideline Story." Thank you so much for joining us. Subscribe to "Sideline Story" wherever you listen to podcasts. For more information, you can also check our website, radio.cgtn.com. See you next week. [MUSIC PLAYING] (upbeat music)