Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen, host of top players opt to skip Asian Games
Event clashes with men’s contests in Chengdu, Hangzhou, followed immediately by the China Open, a key ATP 500 and WTA 1000 tournament
Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen has been omitted from the squad for the coming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, joining a number of the country’s top players who have opted to skip the tournament.
The Chinese Tennis Association confirmed on Monday that former world No 4 Zheng, along with Zhang Zhizhen, Jerry Shang Juncheng, Bu Yunchaokete and Wang Xinyu, who is currently the highest ranked Chinese women’s player, will not feature at the Games in Japan.
Scheduled for September 27 to October 3, the tennis tournament at the Games clashes with ATP events in Chengdu and Hangzhou, followed immediately by the China Open in Beijing, a key ATP 500 and WTA 1000 tournament.
Wu Yibing, however, will represent China at the Games for the third time, leading the men’s team along with a group of young newcomers. Wu was the 2018 Asian Games silver medallist and is the current world No 99.
The 26-year-old Wu was joined by young players, including Kong Weiyi, Zhang Tianhui, Chen Ye and Meng Fanming, all aged 19 or 20 and making their Asian Games debut.
The women’s squad is more experienced, led by Wang Xiyu, who reached the last 16 of the French Open last month and is currently ranked world No 101.