ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 11, 2023

Zhang Zhizhen

Press Conference

H. HURKACZ/Zhang Zhizhen

7-6, 4-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference of Zhang Zhizhen. We will start with English questions first and then move to native language.

First off, Zhang, it's a pity that you didn't get the win tonight, but still proud of yourself to fight until the end?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Yes, because I given everything tonight, and then so I feel okay, not too sad. I mean, well, of course, when you're losing the match, you don't feel that comfortable. I'm happy that tonight what I did, so I can accept the loss. He's playing very well in the third set, so, yeah, good luck wish him. I had a good week here.

THE MODERATOR: Any other English questions? Questions in Chinese.

Q. You asked for physio for the medical evaluation. Could you talk about what happened?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Yeah, actually it's my old injury. Indeed, I felt a little bit uncomfortable during the match, therefore I called the physio. But it's not a very serious issue, it's an old issue for me, so I hope that I can control it, and then I can be in good form for the next week.

Q. Could you talk about your performance for this season, and then what are the areas that you want to focus on at the winter training?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: There are a few weeks before the end of the season, but I think it's okay to comment on the whole season. I think I had a low start and then I'm getting better. At the beginning of the year, usually I didn't play very well. Starting from the clay, I began to play better.

I think I am in pretty good condition now. Hopefully, I can recover from my injury around the waist and continue to play good tennis for the next few weeks before the end of the season.

What are the areas I want to improve? I think there is a lot that I can improve.

Q. Actually, the opponent's serve today had given you a lot of threat. Could you talk about that, and there is only one step before you can win, so what did you feel when you lost the last point?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Well, I'll answer your second question first. I think I've tried my best. You all know that he has very good serves, so I just want to keep my game, and then try to find the opportunity to break his serve.

I think I did it, in particular in the second set, so I did what Lu Yen-Hsun talked about, in terms of the tactics of playing him.

Also, his serve is really good, and the objective before the match is to try to prolong the match to tiebreaks, and I think I did that.

Q. Sorry that I have to mention tiebreaks of the first set. When the audience see that, everyone was very angry. I want to ask about your feeling at that time.

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: I think I didn't control my emotion well, because I wanted to win the point too much. My objective for the match is to prolong the match until tiebreak.

So at that time it's tiebreak period and I think I have made it, and for that particular point I found it very difficult to keep calm. What is good is I recovered myself at the second set. Yeah, that's it.

Q. I saw your family coming tonight to watch you play. What's the biggest change that tennis has brought to you and to your family?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Yes, my family has been with me this week, the whole week, watching all my matches.

Talking about the change or the inference that tennis brings to me, I think at least they have the opportunity to watch all my games, especially in Shanghai. I think for today's match I've tried all I can do, I tried my best, so I hope everyone enjoyed the performance tonight.

Q. Actually, if you win the match today you will be among the top-50 players in the world. What's the best thing you have done today?

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Actually, I don't want to talk a lot about this topic, things like, if I win this match, I can be among the top 50, etcetera. You have to also pay attention to the opponents that I play every time. Also, usually I have to play a lot more matches before I go to that critical match, which, if I win, can enable me to be among the top 50.

I think a near miss is already good enough for me. Now, for me, I don't think I have any pressure to be among the top 50. Although it's the, today's match, if I win, it's the closest that I am with a top-50 player, but I will continue to work hard.

Q. Could you talk about the areas which impressed you the most in the Shanghai Masters, not just in terms of the matches, but anything else.

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: Well, the gym is excellent. I haven't been here for the Shanghai Masters for three or four years, so this is a very good opportunity.

In particular, I came to the main draw rather than using my wild card to be in the Shanghai Masters. Also, I love to play in the Shanghai Masters.

What's different this time versus the previous times is that you definitely feel, have a very different feeling when you play main draw or play qualifying.

Q. I want to know, in all those important matches in 2023, what is the significance of break points to you? How significant is break points to you? I can see in today's match that the opponent has a very strong first serve, but we all want you to have more break points.

ZHANG ZHIZHEN: There are two types of break points. First of all, I have to be able to have a break point. Some opponent is very good at serving, therefore I have to try my best to return, because you don't know whether the next serve will be an ace or not. So break point depend on your opponent rather than yourself.

What I can do in the opponent's game is to try to return each time and give pressure to the opponent all the time. I think what's more important is I can always give the other opponent more pressure.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.