Wang pulls off Fognini stunner
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, October 8, 2014
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Wang Chuhan hits a return to Italy's Fabio Fognini, the 15th seed, during their first-round match en route to his stunning 7-6 (5), 6-4 Shanghai Rolex Masters victory at the Qizhong Tennis Stadium in suburban Minhang District yesterday. |
Wildcard Wang Chuhan became the first Chinese player ever to reach the second round of an ATP 1000 tournament when he knocked out 15th seed Fabio Fognini 7-6 (5), 6-4.
The 22-year-old Dalian native, ranked 553, was making his debut ATP World Tour appearance at the Shanghai Rolex Masters yesterday. Seizing advantage from his Italian opponent with a tiebreaker in the first set, Wang continued to pound aggressively for the lines in the second, and sealed the match with a confident backhand cross on his first match point.
"I had some expectation, but was really not confident of a victory today," a delighted Wang said later. "It's a surprise for me, as surprising as the (big) number of journalists I see today."
Wang is a Beijing Tennis Team member. He said the pre-match tips from his Spanish coach Juan Esparcia played a big role in his surprising victory.
"My coach used to work in ATP circles. He knows a lot about Fognini as well as his weaknesses. He taught me about his techniques, and asked me to relax and play freely."
Esparcia is the ex-coach of Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. He has been coaching Wang, as well as another Chinese player Liu Siyuan, since last November.
Esparcia was happy that Wang managed to give full play to what he had taught him.
"I asked Wang to focus on his own game," the Spaniard told Shanghai Daily. "I know Fognini's playing style, so I gave Wang some tips on rallies. I told him he should stay on court for as long as possible. I also wanted him to enjoy the game."
Esparcia, who has one more year on his contract with the Beijing Tennis Team, likes Wang's playing style as well as the working atmosphere in the team. "Wang is mentally good. He is a solid player and controls emotions well on court. I hope our cooperation will last longer."
Wang said he was a bit nervous getting into yesterday's match, knowing Fognini was faster than him, as the two had practiced together several times during last week's China Open. He will face Tunisian qualifier Malek Jaziri in the second round.
While Wang won, compatriot Zhang Ze, the highest ranked Chinese men's player at 190, battled hard but lost out to Frenchman Julien Benneteau 7-5, 3-6, 3-6 after a match lasting nearly 2-1/2 hours.
Zhang's Swedish coach Joakim Nystrom, however, was happy with his performance. "If he keeps playing the way he did today, it's just a matter of time before he enters the top 100.
"He is physically strong and one of the most hardworking Chinese players. More victories against higher-ranked foreign players will help him build up his mental strength and stability on court," Nystrom said.
In other notable matches yesterday, the tournament's 11th seed Andy Murray of Britain beat Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 7-5 in the first round while Ivo Karlovic, who dumped fellow Croat and US Open champion Marin Cilic on Monday, downed Lu Yen-hsun of Chinese Taipei 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the second round.
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