Rising Wang sends a message
Talented teen cites Li as her role model
Among the four Chinese players competing in the second round of the Wuhan Open, the spotlight unexpectedly fell on 17-year-old Wang Xiyu.
The gallant advance of the youngster from Taixing, Jiangsu province, was halted by world No 13 Daria Kasatkina of Russia on Tuesday, but Wang, the world No 232 who cites the legendary Li Na as her role model, surprised everyone in her dazzling debut at the Premier 5 WTA tournament.
When Wang received a wild card for the qualification round, most pundits didn’t believe she would make the main draw. But the speedy left-hander proved her worth by getting two straight wins in the qualifying rounds and defeating world No 72 Bernarda Pera in the opening round of the tournament.
“I started from qualification and my goal was to get into the main draw,” said Wang. “I told myself to calm down after I won the first round. I didn’t feel any changes; I just kept doing my best.
“There is more pressure playing against the world’s top 100 players. They are more experienced and I have to be at my best to beat any of them.”
It marked the first time Wang joined such a high-level event, though she became a Junior Grand Slam champion by winning the US Open girls’ singles title earlier this month and in July partnered with Wang Xinyu to claimed the Wimbledon Championships girls’ doubles crown.
This has been a transitional campaign for Wang, who plans to turn pro next year. She made her WTA maindraw debut at the 2017 Tianjin Open after receiving a wild card into the singles.
“Although I tried 100 percent, I need to be more stable at those key points, especially in terms of my psychological state,” Wang said after the 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8) loss to Kasatkina.
“I see challenges in different aspects. Technically, I need to be more stable and more open to deal with the key points better. There is much more for me to learn.”
Chinese media and fans began comparing Wang to Li after she showed great potential at junior events, leading to predictions she might become China’s next megastar on the court.
Still a little girl when Li was in her prime, she told China Daily she still likes to watch video of Asia’s first Grand Slam singles champion.
“I love her personality of just being herself,” Wang said of Li. “I’m inspired by her. I will just keep being myself, keep chasing my goal and be more determined.”
Wang writes a daily journal in English, recapping practice routines and analyzing her match performances. She shares her insights with her coach, Spain’s Eduardo Nicolas, who mentored Slovakian former world No 5 Daniela Hantuchova, who now coaches at Beijing’s 1123 Junior Tennis Academy.
“Chinese tennis is maturing a lot. I think in the next couple of years there will be a lot of promising players from here,” said Nicolas.
“It’s a challenge for me to help build Chinese players. They have all the ingredients to be good pros and I would like to share my experience on how we work in Spain to give them the tools to make them stronger and more competitive.”
Born into a sports family that includes her javelin thrower mother and speed skater grandfather, Wang started tennis training at the age of 4. With the support of her family, she practiced after school and competed in junior tournaments during vacations.
When her talent became obvious, the 1123 Junior Tennis Academy stepped in to sponsor her and provide a more competitive environment.
“She is eager to win and fears nothing,” said Shen Jianyi, the academy’s director of athlete management.
“She loves the feeling of competing and shows great persistence when facing strong opponents.
“She was the youngest player when she came to the academy, so it was difficult for her to train and compete with the bigger kids. But she was thrilled by the challenge and tried hard to defeat all her opponents.”
Players of Li’s generation launched their careers with provincial or national teams, but Wang’s generation has the benefit of foreign coaches and strong support teams.
“Many of our junior players show great competitiveness and potential on the international stage, which shows the tennis development in our country,” said Sun Wenbing, director of the tennis development department for China Tennis Administrative Center.
“We invest great effort in promoting tennis development in our country, and we are using diversified development models for junior players with the help of the national, provincial and local governments.”