In the face of challenges, one must not fear; the victory of Guo Meiqi in Liu'an last week showcased her heroism.

In recent years, with the rise of post-2000 Chinese female tennis players and a series of breakthroughs by Chinese male tennis players in various competitions, more and more government departments and enterprises have started investing funds and efforts into hosting tennis events, leading to an increasing number of tennis tournaments in China. So, how did the Chinese players perform in the Liu'an Hope Tournament held last week? Let’s take a look today.

Last week, due to an overwhelming number of entries for the Liu'an Hope Tournament qualifiers, this low-level qualifier had to adopt a format similar to Grand Slam qualifiers, requiring players to win three consecutive matches to advance to the main event. After three rounds of fierce competition, four Chinese players—Cao Yajing, Wang Wanbing, Chen Yiru, and Gao Ruirui—emerged victorious and advanced to the main draw.

In the first round, Zhang Junhan, who had recently reached the semifinals of a Hope Tournament, was surprisingly eliminated by AC Lutkemeyer Obregon from the U.S. qualifiers. However, the three players—Chen Yiru, Wang Wanbing, and Gao Ruirui—who advanced from the qualifiers all defeated their opponents and moved on to the second round.

Meanwhile, wildcard entrant Ruan Ziying defeated Tang Qianhui and also advanced smoothly; Guo Meiqi, who had previously won a Hope Tournament this season, dominated her opponent and progressed to the second round as well. Other Chinese players advancing to the second round included Wang Jiayi, Yuan Chengyi, and Sun Yingqun.

In the second round, the miracles continued as Ruan Ziying battled through three sets to defeat the tournament's third seed, American player Zhu Yulin, and advanced with difficulty. The three Chinese players who broke through from the qualifiers all faced defeats and could not continue their journey. However, Yuan Chengyi, Guo Meiqi, Sun Yingqun, and Wang Jiayi each triumphed over their opponents, securing spots in the quarterfinals. Thus, Chinese players occupied five of the eight quarterfinal spots. It seemed that winning the championship was not too difficult.

In the quarterfinals, during an all-Chinese matchup, Wang Jiayi allowed Ruan Ziying to win only four games throughout the match, while Guo Meiqi decisively defeated Yuan Chengyi without dropping a game. Sun Yingqun, despite starting strong, was reversed by Belarusian player P Kuharenko, who won two consecutive sets, but it was still her first time reaching the Hope Tournament quarterfinals this year. In the semifinals, Chinese players held half of the spots, still retaining hopes for the championship.

In the semifinals, facing AC Lutkemeyer Obregon, who had defeated Zhang Junhan, Wang Jiayi, despite initially losing a set, fought back to equalize and pushed the match to a deciding set. However, in that final set, she faced a setback, resulting in the loss of the upper half of the draw. Thus, only Guo Meiqi remained as the sole Chinese player in the tournament.

In the final, American player AC Lutkemeyer Obregon took an early lead with a score of 6-4, gaining the upper hand for the championship. However, Guo Meiqi responded in the second set, delivering a bagel and extending the match to a deciding set while keeping her championship hopes alive.

In the final set, both players fought fiercely. As the match reached a stalemate, Guo Meiqi broke her opponent's serve, pulling ahead in the score. Subsequently, she seized the opportunity and claimed victory, earning her second Hope Tournament title of the year. This concludes today's tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow. (Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)