home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

ZHENGZHOU OPEN


September 10, 2019


Wang Meiling

Zhang Xingguo


Zhengzhou, China

P. HERCOG/Wang Meiling

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Chinese.

Q. What is your feeling about the games? This is your first WTA Premier match and at such a high level what's your feeling?
WANG MEILING: I just tried to do my best as I can and I played well on the -- and I tried to play well on each point, each rally.

ZHANG XINGGUO: We are grateful for the wildcard given by this tournament organization and also this time my player played quite well and she won three matches in the qualifying games and of course it is the first time for her to make it into the Premier games and we really cherished this opportunity. Today she played a top-50 player. At the beginning she is not used to the powerful serve from her opponent and lost the first set quickly. All in all this is a great experience for her.

Q. Following this tournament you will play another seven games, so what is your plan for those following games?
ZHANG XINGGUO: Yes, before this period my player went through a tough period due to injuries in her wrist and shoulder. Her ranking dropped from around 500 to 650, so we planned to gain more points in the following matches to improve her ranking back. This time she played great and earned points and next we will stick to our plan and try our best.

Q. Now in China many matches were held here, therefore many young players in China have opportunities to play at a high level. So as a coach and player, what do you think of this opportunity and what can you gain from this opportunity?
WANG MEILING: For me I think I can compete with better players. Of course this is a great challenge for me, but I think I will just try to do my best.

ZHANG XINGGUO: Recently WTA held many events and tournaments in China and I would say this is a very good opportunity to compete with the world top players. But maybe five to ten years ago we can't imagine this could happen. Now our players can see more high level games.

Q. We noticed that at the end of July you participated in the national training camp in Beijing. Do you think this experience had any impact on you?
WANG MEILING: I tried to be better and I eagerly want to improve my ranking. I believe in myself and my passion for the tennis.

ZHANG XINGGUO: At that time my player tried her best through her injuries and she missed a lot of training. And in this training camp she met a lot of top players in the country and this experience will certainly help her and inspire her.

Q. I noticed that you're a left-handed player. Are you born left-handed or are you trained to play this way?
WANG MEILING: I was born left-handed so when I started to play I played this way.

Q. Do you have any idols in tennis? Is he or she left-handed?
WANG MEILING: Yes, but she's not left-handed, she's Caroline Garcia.

Q. Caroline Garcia is also in this tournament. Did you talk with her?
WANG MEILING: Sorry, I'm a little bit shy, so I haven't talked to her, but I noticed her and her play style attracts me and maybe her appearance. I think she's a nice person, though I haven't talked to her.

Q. You're in an early stage of your career, what's your plan for the future or for the next few years?
ZHANG XINGGUO: Last year her ranking was at 400 and now she's more experienced. This year we plan to improve her ranking as I mentioned and after this tournament she has to improve her serves and returns and hopefully next year she can be in the qualifying games in Grand Slam tournaments.

Q. What can we learn from the experience of abroad players like Bianca Andreescu, because she just won the US Open title?
ZHANG XINGGUO: I think we should do best about what we can do. We should learn and exchange from their experience in coaching and training and help our players to play in high level games. Only by doing so can we do better than before and I believe in the future there will be more tennis players in the Grand Slam games.

Q. Over the years we see Chinese players always play better when they are old. Do you think this is due to the training system in our country or some other reasons?
ZHANG XINGGUO: Physically I think Asian players are not bad compared with western players. Besides, Asia players put a lot more working and training. My player is a typical north China girl and after years of match experience I think she will do much better after her 20s.

Q. What do you think the venue and condition in Zhengzhou Open?
WANG MEILING: I think the crowds are great. I played here many times before, every time I can notice some improvement on the venue and the conditions and I really like this experience here. I feel this place brings me luck and last year I won a title here.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP sports

tech 129
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297