China Red lights up Sharm El Sheikh! Last week, the first Chinese derby took place in the final of a Hope Series tournament.

As is well known, the Hope Series is the lowest-level tennis tournament. Because of this, the number of Chinese players competing here is also the highest. Nevertheless, until last week in the 2026 season, no Chinese players had been able to face each other in a final. However, last week, a Chinese player suddenly broke through, winning consecutively from the qualifying rounds all the way to the first Hope Series final of the 2026 season. And standing across the net from her was another Chinese player. So, who is this Chinese player? And who was the Chinese player she faced in the final? Which of them would ultimately claim victory? Today, let this article take you through the story.

This player is Liu Yuhan. Last week, she and Ren Ke competed in the ITF W15 Sharm El Sheikh Hope Series qualifying. As both were seeded players, Liu Yuhan and Ren Ke received byes in the first round of qualifying. In the second qualifying round, they both defeated their respective opponents and advanced smoothly. In the final qualifying round, Ren Ke was swept by Italian player G De Santis and unfortunately eliminated; meanwhile, Liu Yuhan defeated Korean player Choi SY in straight sets, successfully entering the main draw.

Other Chinese players joining Liu Yuhan in the main draw were Ren Yufei and Mi Lan. In the first round, Liu Yuhan faced Mi Lan. Against this compatriot who had recently won her first career Hope Series title, Liu Yuhan showed no mercy, allowing her opponent only three games across two sets. Ren Yufei defeated Finnish player C Blomqvist and also advanced smoothly.

In the second round, Liu Yuhan battled through three sets to defeat American player J Snells and advance. Ren Yufei's opponent this round was Italian qualifier B Dessolis. In this match, Ren Yufei withstood her opponent's challenge in the first set, taking it 7-5. In the second set, she gave B Dessolis few opportunities, winning 6-3 to secure the match and advance to the next round.

In the quarterfinals, Liu Yuhan faced the tournament's third seed, Austrian player E Perelygina. In this match, against an opponent with a much higher world ranking, Liu Yuhan performed tenaciously, pushing both sets to tie-breaks and ultimately claiming victory. Meanwhile, the tournament's top seed, Ren Yufei, delivered an outstanding performance, allowing the seventh seed, Russian player D Zelinskaya, only four games in total and even serving a bagel in the second set.

In the semifinals, Liu Yuhan comfortably took the first set 6-1 against the tournament's second seed, Russian player K Kroitor, gaining the upper hand for advancement. In the second set, trailing by a large margin, K Kroitor chose to retire. Ren Yufei, meanwhile, completed a straight-sets victory (6-4, 6-4) over the fourth seed, Lithuanian player Lukšiūtė, reaching her second Hope Series final of the 2026 season.

Liu Yuhan, who had secured six consecutive wins from the qualifying rounds, faced compatriot Ren Yufei in the final. This marked the first Chinese derby in a Hope Series final since the start of the 2026 season. In this match, Ren Yufei effectively suppressed Liu Yuhan, winning 6-1, 6-3 to claim her second Hope Series title of the 2026 season.

Despite the final loss, Liu Yuhan's world ranking still soared by over two hundred places due to her excellent performance in this tournament. Champion Ren Yufei's ranking also rose accordingly. These two young Chinese players shone on the courts of Egypt. We look forward to their continued breakthroughs and future achievements. That's today's tennis story. More to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Yixin Jushi)