History in Hangzhou! Zhang Zhizhen, Buyunchaokete closes first Chinese SF | ATP Tour
Hangzhou
History in Hangzhou! Zhang, Buyunchaokete closes the first Chinese SF
The winner will be the second ATP Tour finalist from China
September 22, 2024
AFP/Getty Images
Zhang Zhizhen defeated Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets on Sunday in Hanzghou.
By ATP staff
Zhang Zhizhen made another Chinese history on Sunday at the Hangzhou Open.
With his 6-3, 6-3 victory over Roberto Carballes Baena, the sixth seed set up the Chinese’s first semi-final in the Open Era. He will face Buyunchaokete from the wild card for a place in the finals.
“First of all, I am very happy that he won this game today and, in fact, I congratulate him,” Zhang said in his courtroom interview. “It is not easy for us. Me and Shang [Juncheng] and Bu now, there are three of us, entering the Top 100. That is really good in Chinese history. It doesn’t matter who will win tomorrow. It will be one Chinese guy in the final anyway.”
Nothing stops Zhang! 🔥
The Chinese No.1 advances to the semifinals @HangzhouOpen | #HangzhouOpen pic.twitter.com/YobGLM8h2B
– ATP Tour (@atptour) September 22, 2024
This week, Buyunchaokete had played in the only ATP Tour draw of his career, reaching the second round in Shanghai last year. But the 22-year-old stunned second-seeded Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals and on Sunday knocked out a resurgent Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 6-2.
Buyunchaokete, who saved three of the four break points he faced against Kukushkin according to Infosys ATP Stats, is in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Live Rankings for the first time in World No. 96.
“It’s a really, really, really good feeling right now,” Buyunchaokete said. “It’s probably the best moment for me in my ATP career, so I need to enjoy it and show all my best tennis. [at] at home here with my fans, my team and many of my friends are here. So I need to enjoy it too. “
The clash between Zhang and Buyunchaokete will be the fourth all-Chinese match at a tour-level event in the Open Era. The last three were first-round games between wild cards. #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng also advanced to the semifinals in Chengdu and last year, Wu Yibing won in Dallas to become the first ATP Tour number one from China.
“I just focus on my work. These guys are doing better than me on Tour. They already have semi-finals and finals in the Tour, but I don’t think it’s a surprise,” said Buyunchaokete. “I feel like it’s really normal. I mean Triple Z and Jerry [Shang]they have a really good team and they are doing well in the Tour. It’s an amazing week for me here at home, playing semis.”
