Zhou Yi came into the Rolex Shanghai Masters ranked No. 277 in the world and still trying to establish himself on the ATP Challenger Tour.
A little more than a week later, the 21-year-old leaves with a victory over former World No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti, a competitive showing against 2023 Shanghai champion Hubert Hurkacz and, perhaps most importantly, a much clearer sense of where his game can take him.
“I’m a little bit sad, of course. I walked off and it didn’t go my way, but I feel like I gained a lot this week,” Zhou said after his 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 third-round loss to Hurkacz.
“I improved a lot, both with my game and mentally. I know the direction I need to work in, and I know the effort we are putting in is working. It gives me a lot of confidence to play like that at such a high level.
“So mainly, I think I have to say, ‘Good job’ to myself.”
There was plenty to feel good about.
After outlasting Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci in three sets in his opening match, the Chinese wild card produced the biggest victory of his career against Musetti, saving three set points in the opening-set tie-break before overwhelming the Italian in the deciding tie-break.
It was also a week in which the aggressive game Zhou has been building began to look increasingly at home on the ATP Tour.
The 6-foot-4 Beijing native wants to dictate with his serve and forehand, take control of the court and look for opportunities to move forward. Against Hurkacz, he found an intriguing reference point for where that style might eventually lead.
“I think Hurkacz is a great player. He served unbelievably today,” said Zhou, who saw 18 aces blow by him. “I think we can play a similar style. If I can improve my serve, it’s going to help me so much more.
“He could be one of the players whose style I can work towards. It shows me how much more work I have to put in, both off the court and in training, and gives me more direction on where I can improve.
“After putting in that work for a couple of months, maybe it can take me to another level.”
That next phase will likely take place back on the Challenger Tour, where Zhou will look to turn the confidence gained in Shanghai into the ranking required to earn more regular opportunities at ATP Tour level.
For now, he is resisting the temptation to attach too much significance to one tournament.
“One week finishes and you go back, rest and continue to the next week. That’s how a tennis player works,” Zhou said.
“It was a great week for me and I gained a lot of confidence. I’m just going to keep working, go back to the Challenger Tour and hopefully come back to more and more ATP events in the future.
“Just keep going.”
