Zhang Zhizhen sealed Chinese history again on Sunday at the Hangzhou Open.
With his 6-3, 6-3 win against Roberto Carballes Baena, the sixth seed set the first all-Chinese tour-level semi-final in the Open Era. He will face wild card Buyunchaokete for a place in the final.
“First of all, I’m super happy that he won that match today and, really, congratulations to him,” Zhang said in his on-court interview. “It’s really not easy for us. Me and Shang [Juncheng] and Bu now, three of us, we’re stepping in the Top 100. That’s really good for the history for China. It doesn’t matter who wins tomorrow. It will be one Chinese guy in the final anyway.”
No stopping Zhang! 🔥
The Chinese No.1 soars into the semi-finals @HangzhouOpen | #HangzhouOpen pic.twitter.com/YobGLM8h2B
Entering the week, Buyunchaokete had only played one ATP Tour main draw in his career, reaching the second round in Shanghai last year. But the 22-year-old stunned second seed Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals and on Sunday ousted the resurgent Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 6-2.
Buyunchaokete, who saved three of the four break points he faced against Kukushkin according to Infosys ATP Stats, is in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Live Rankings for the first time at World No. 96.
“It’s a really, really, really good feeling right now,” Buyunchaokete said. “Maybe it’s the best moment for me in my career in the ATP, so I just need to enjoy and show all my best tennis [at] home here with my fans, my team and also a lot of my friends are here. So I just need to enjoy and that’s it.”
The clash between Zhang and Buyunchaokete will be just the fourth all-Chinese matchup at a tour-level event in the Open Era. The previous three were first-round encounters between wild cards. #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng has also advanced to the semi-finals in Chengdu and last year, Wu Yibing triumphed in Dallas to become the first ATP Tour titlist from China.
“I just focus on my job. These guys are doing better than me on the Tour. They already have some semi-finals and a final on the Tour, but I feel it’s not a surprise,” Buyunchaokete said. “I feel it’s a really normal thing. I mean Triple Z and Jerry [Shang], they have a really good team and they are doing well on the Tour. It’s an amazing week for me at home here, playing a semi.”
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