Wu Yibing charged into the second round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters Wednesday night after defeating American Michael Zheng 6-3, 7-6(6).
And the best part? His mother was in the house.
“Shanghai is a two-hour drive from my hometown [Hangzhou]. My mum drove here two days ago, so it’s great for her to be able to see me play again,” Wu said. “The last time she watched me play was at Wimbledon against Djokovic. So she picked the right moment to come, I would say.”
Wu, who reached the third round in 2024, saved both break points he faced and won 74 per cent of points on his second serve.
“Apart from the double fault I made in the tie-break, I would say the second serve was perfect. I tried to really push him back with my second serve and also tried to surprise him sometimes with the body serve. I think I did pretty well today.”
Next up is a showdown with World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, who this year won Roland Garros and the US Open. Wu believes he can win that match.
“In tennis, anything can happen. I think now the priority is to have a good recovery tonight and tomorrow, and try to bring the best of myself in two days.”
World No. 227 Zhou Yi became the second Chinese player through to the second round when he outlasted left-handed Italian Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4).
Playing a swashbuckling brand of tennis that included 17 forehand winners and athletic approaches to the net, Zhou set up a meeting with another Italian, 24th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
Zhou, 21, reached the second round in Shanghai two years ago when he benefited from a first-set retirement from Yoshihito Nishioka.
Playing his third match in three days, Hong Kong qualifier Coleman Wong lost his main-draw debut 6-4, 7-6(5) to Quentin Halys in a match featuring just two break points. The Frenchman’s ability to convert his lone chance in the first set was critical.
“We were both playing a really high-level match and I really enjoyed it, to be honest,” said Wong, who recently won the gold medal at the Asian Games.
“It’s not often I can play in these conditions, in these big tournaments, so I really tried to enjoy it as much as I can and try to stay there as long as I can.”
