Chinese men's tennis star Zhang Zhizhen carved his name into the record books this week, battling from behind to clinch a historic semifinal spot at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany . The Shanghai-born athlete became the first man from the Chinese mainland to reach an ATP Tour-level grass-court semifinal in the Open Era after a nail-biting 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over American Christopher Eubanks.
Down 5-2 in the final set, Zhang staged a Hollywood-worthy comeback, winning five straight games to seal the deal. 'I'm proud I didn't give up,' he said post-match, crediting his mental resilience for the win.
The victory rockets Zhang to a career-high No. 33 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings—a nine-spot jump this week alone. Next up? A David vs. Goliath showdown against Italy's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. 'I want to see where I stand against the best,' Zhang declared, referencing his journey from Futures tournaments to facing tennis royalty .
Sports analysts are calling this a watershed moment for Chinese tennis, with fans across Asia and the diaspora cheering Zhang's underdog spirit .
. The Shanghai-born athlete became the first man from the Chinese mainland to reach an ATP Tour-level grass-court semifinal in the Open Era after a nail-biting 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over American Christopher Eubanks.
Down 5-2 in the final set, Zhang staged a Hollywood-worthy comeback, winning five straight games to seal the deal. 'I'm proud I didn't give up,' he said post-match, crediting his mental resilience for the win.
The victory rockets Zhang to a career-high No. 33 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings—a nine-spot jump this week alone. Next up? A David vs. Goliath showdown against Italy's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. 'I want to see where I stand against the best,' Zhang declared, referencing his journey from Futures tournaments to facing tennis royalty 
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