On Wednesday a new milestone was achieved for Chinese tennis at the Wuhan Open thanks to Wang Qiang.
The 26-year-old battled to a 7-5, 6-2, win over Daria Gavrilova to book a place in the quarter-finals. Becoming the first home player to do so in the tournament’s history. Qiang’s triumph comes after what has been a stellar summer. She is currently on an eight-match winning streak after claiming the Guangzhou Open title. Her second WTA title after the Jiangxi Open from last July. Between those two tournaments she also powered her way to a gold medal at the Asian Games without dropping a set.
“In terms of technique, in the past year I think I’ve been doing quite similar, but I’m really more confident. I believe in myself. That’s the most important element.” Qiang told reporters about the improvements in her game.
Earlier in the tournament, the Chinese No.1 stunned Karolina Pliskova in three sets. Recording her second victory over a top 10 player this season. Her first was against Venus Williams at the French Open.
“I don’t think too much about it. I only regard them as a regular opponent with an easy mindset.” She said about playing the best players in the world. “Before a match, if you think too much, if you think too much about they’re a top-ranked players, you will put too much pressure on yourself.”
It is only fitting that Qiang’s rise should be on full display at the Wuhan Open. A tournament inspired by China’s most successful tennis player of all time. Li Na, who was born in Wuhan, is the only player from her country to have won a grand slam title in singles competition. Doing so at the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open. Na is credited for triggering a boost in the popularity of the sport in the region in recent years.
“She’s a role model for many athletes, especially Chinese players. If I can play as well as she did, I will have a very perfect life.” Qiang commented about Na.
Four years on from when Na retired from competitive tennis, there is still yet to be another Chinese player to match her achievements. Which also includes rising to number two in the world. This week there are currently five women from China ranked in the world’s top 100. Headed by Qiang at 34th.
Speaking about Li Na’s legacy, Qiang believes the future is bright for Chinese tennis. The Country hosts seven WTA tournaments throughout the year, including a Premier and Premier Mandatory event. From 2019 Shenzhen will also host the WTA Finals with a record $14 million in prize money up for grabs.
“After the emergence of Li Na, I think we are on the rise. You see young players. At this level of tournament, we see great performances. We have many opportunities to win matches.” The world No.34 explained.
“I think in the near future, in international tournaments, we’ll see more Chinese players.”
Qiang will play Monica Puig in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open on Thursday.
