close-up: chinese veteran zhang shuai reaps "double happiness" at the china open
2024-10-02
한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina
"my motherland and i are like the sea and waves..."
at about 2 pm on october 1, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the people's republic of china, the 2024 china tennis open (referred to as "china open") organizing committee held a special event at the national tennis center in beijing. the led display screen of the diamond stadium was switched to red. 35-year-old veteran zhang shuai stood in front of the net and transformed into a "conductor", singing "my motherland and me" in unison with the audience. the loud singing voice filled the entire stadium.
before the special event, zhang shuai had just defeated polish player frech in straight sets 6:4, 6:2 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the china open women's singles.
in an interview after the game, zhang shuai said: "i still remember 2009, 15 years ago, when it was the 60th anniversary of the national day. i had a small explosion. i am very happy this time and can stimulate my greatest energy at the china open."
today (october 1), the 2024 china tennis open (referred to as "china open") continued in beijing. 35-year-old veteran zhang shuai defeated polish player fresi in straight sets and advanced to the women's singles quarterfinals. the picture shows zhang shuai singing "my motherland and me" with the audience after the game. (photo provided by china open organizing committee)
what zhang shuai mentioned was her first experience participating in the china open. in 2009, zhang shuai, who was ranked 226th at the time, entered the competition with a wild card. after winning her first victory on the women's tennis association (wta) tour, she eliminated the then world no. 1 safina in the second round, creating a record of defeating the then "ball player" "after" the lowest ranking record.
before this china open, zhang shuai experienced the lowest point in his tennis career and suffered a 24-game losing streak in singles on the wta tour. after coming to the china open with a wild card ranking of 595th in the world, zhang shuai ushered in a rebound after bottoming out and won four consecutive victories without losing a set.
at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, at the press conference held after the game, zhang shuai explained the reason for the "miracle". "when you compete for the country, you can bring out the best in yourself. although i did not achieve the results i wanted at the paris olympics, i treated the china open as an olympic venue and fought hard, ushering in a 'miracle' 's appearance.
after advancing to the quarterfinals of the china open women's singles for the third time in 2016 and 2018, and also falling on the national day, this year's china open has special significance for zhang shuai. "winning the game on such a special day gives me a sense of happiness and pride. i hope our country will prosper and become stronger. as a chinese player, i will also set a good example for the next generation of young people in my motherland. ”
a china news service reporter saw in the park that day that bright five-star red flags were hung on street light poles in many sections. at the audience service center, as long as they say their blessings to the motherland, the audience can get a small national flag for free.
it is reported that the tickets for the diamond stadium that day were sold out in advance, and the game was crowded with many parents bringing their children to watch the game.
"zhang shuai! come on!" during the 1 hour and 30 minutes of the game, whenever zhang shuai was in a disadvantageous situation, many spectators would cheer for her in the stands. during the intermission, the stadium's big screen switched to the stands, where many spectators dressed in red and with national flags painted on their faces waved national flags to the camera.
at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, zhang shuai posted a message on social media to thank the audience for their support: "this is the most wonderful national day i have ever spent. thank you to every audience present today. your enthusiasm and shouts have injected endless power into me." . i am very happy that we spent the 75th anniversary of the founding of new china together.”
ms. hu, who lives in beijing, told reporters that yesterday she learned from the news that zhang shuai entered the top 16, and today she specially brought her 9-year-old daughter to watch the game live.
"zhang shuai made the impossible possible through constant persistence and challenging himself, which shocked me. i took advantage of the national day to bring my children to experience the atmosphere of the scene, hoping to inspire the children."
