China’s Wu Yibing makes tennis history with first ATP Tour title and says, ‘there’s more to come’
- Wu’s victory came after a battle with the big-serving John Isner, who had threatened to overwhelm the Chinese player with a barrage of 44 aces
- Wu, who has surged up the global rankings in the past year from 1,869th last March to 97th in the world, collapsed on court in delight after his win
Wu Yibing became the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title, rallying in a three-set, all-tiebreaker thriller to beat John Isner in the Dallas Open on Sunday.
Wu overcame 44 aces from the big-serving Isner — one shy of tying a three-set record — and four match points in the 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 victory. The 23-year-old was the first Chinese player in an ATP final.
Wu also came back from a set down to beat top-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals. There were no service breaks in Wu’s victory over the fifth-seeded Isner, who was playing in his hometown tournament.
“It’s not only about winning the title, I think it’s more about me personally making history and also for the country,” said Wu, who was the first Chinese man to reach the third round of the US Open when he did it as a qualifier last year.
“That’s huge for the next generation,” Wu said. “For me, I need to keep going, keep my body healthy. I’m sure there’s more to come.”
Leading 8-7 in the third-set tiebreaker, Isner came to the net for an easy volley that hit the top of the net and stayed on Isner’s side. The 6-foot-10 American sensed the opportunity lost, sitting for a few moments and fiddling with the strings on his racket.