Zheng Qinwen in action during a training session on Sunday in Beijing  Photo: VCG

China's Zheng Qinwen will kick off her China Open campaign with a clash against a qualifier in the second round, according to the tournament's women's singles draw held on Monday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, China's men's singles players made history in domestic ATP tournaments, as the hosts of events are expected to fuel a wave of tennis enthusiasm across the country around the National Day holidays.

At the 2024 ATP Hangzhou Open in East China's Zhejiang Province, Zhang Zhizhen defeated compatriot Bu Yunchaokete 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Monday night in a historic first-ever all-Chinese semifinal at an ATP Tour event. Zhang will take on Croatian veteran Marin Cilic on Tuesday in the finals.

At the Chengdu Open in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, rising star Shang Juncheng booked a final spot by defeating Yannick Hanfmann of Germany in straight sets.

Bu secured his berth with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, achieving his first ATP semifinal. 

As China's top-ranked male ­player at world No.43, Zhang won his quarterfinal match against Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. 

This historic moment highlights the rapid rise of Chinese men's tennis, with Zhang, Bu and Shang all included in the ATP top 100 in the same week, a new milestone for Chinese men's tennis. 

Competing on home courts might have given the Chinese players extra motivation, Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Monday. 

As more promising Chinese talents make their mark at international events, this is sure to inspire a new generation of young players and increase participation in tennis across the country, he said. 

As the Olympic gold medalist is now the fifth seed in the China Open following the withdrawal of Iga ­Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, Zheng enjoyed a first-round bye and is expected to go further than her first-round exit in 2023. 

She is placed in the same half of the draw as Aryna Sabalenka, who edged her to win the Australian Open in January. 

The 21-year-old aims to secure maximum points to qualify for the WTA Finals scheduled to take place on November 2 to 9, when the world's top eight singles players and doubles pairs will fight for the ­year-end ­championship in Saudi Arabia. 

Taking place in Beijing from Wednesday to October 6, the China Open awarded eight women's singles wildcards to Chinese players, emphasizing the emergence of a new cadre of local talent. 

This year's tournament featured the largest number of Chinese players ever to compete in the singles, reflecting the country's rapid rise in the global tennis scene. 

Notably, a cross-Straits pair will once again feature in the women's doubles. 

Wang Xinyu and Hsieh Su-wei, who won the French Open and reached the semifinals of the US Open in 2023, will continue their strong ­partnership after receiving a wildcard entry into the main draw. 

Wang will also compete in the singles event at the China Open.

Their victory at Roland Garros marked Hsieh's fifth Grand Slam doubles title, showcasing their ­complementary styles, with Wang excelling from the baseline and Hsieh adding her tactical finesse. 

Wang admitted that winning the Olympic mixed doubles silver medal helped more fans learn about her and brought them closer to the sport of tennis. 

She will face a tough challenge from US player Amanda Anisimova in the first round of the China Open.

"Every time I come to the China Open, I can feel the fans' passion," she told ­reporters on Monday.

At the Paris Olympics, Wang teamed up with Zhang Zhizhen at the last minute and eventually won the silver medal in mixed doubles. Wang described her Olympic experience as "dreamlike."

"I had already competed in the women's singles and doubles and thought my matches were over, but then came this unexpected joy. I'm very proud to have won an Olympic medal," Wang told reporters.

"It was my first time partnering with Zhang. We weren't familiar with each other before, but we ended up working well together. He's a very thoughtful player." 

Wang said she hopes to improve her level and world ranking by competing in high-level tournaments. 

"I've played in many big tournaments this year, including the Olympics, WTA 1000 events, and Grand Slam tournaments. Having so many opportunities to compete against top players is a great way to improve," she said.