China has long been the sleeping giant of men's tennis but on Monday the giant stirred as Shanghai trailblazer Zhang Zhizhen advanced to the second round of the French Open.
One of three Chinese men in the draw, Zhang became the first from the nation to win a main draw match at Roland Garros in 86 years after Serbian opponent Dusan Lajovic retired due to illness when trailing 6-1 4-1.
That would bring him a step closer to the fourth-round mark set by Kho Sin-Kie in 1936. Kho, who was born in colonial-era Indonesia but represented China in Davis Cup, also reached the third round in 1937."This year I'm enjoying first win here.In the modern era, Chinese tennis has been dominated by women, with twice Grand Slam champion Li Na becoming the country's first major winner at Roland Garros in 2011.
It took nearly another decade for a Chinese man to claim a main draw win, with Wu Yibing breaking a 63-year drought on the way to the third round at last year's U.S. Open. Zhang, the oldest of the Chinese trio and a relatively late bloomer, has now kept the streak alive after setting a number of tennis 'firsts' for the country in recent months.
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