Chinese tennis star Zhang Zhizhen served up a first-round stunner at the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday, defeating France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-3, 7-6(4) in a match packed with momentum swings. The victory sets up a high-stakes clash with Russia's No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev next!
After both players held serve early, Zhang pounced on Perricard's fourth service game to steal the first set. The Frenchman fought back in the second with aggressive net play and 💣powerful serves, pushing it to a tiebreaker. But Zhang kept his cool, sealing the win when Perricard fired a final shot out of bounds.
'Every point felt like a battle,' Zhang said post-match. 'I stayed focused on my strategy, especially during the tiebreak.' This win adds fuel to his rising career – he’s now eyeing his first-ever victory against Rublev, who leads their head-to-head 2-0.
With Asian athletes making waves globally, Zhang’s performance is one to watch! 🌟 Who’s ready for Round 2?
