Zhang Zhiwen: Knee Sends Positive Signals, Haven’t Played Bellucci in a Long Time

According to the official ATP Tour report, at the 2024 ATP Hangzhou Open, Zhang Zhiwen defeated Yevseyev 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, welcoming his first victory. “Today’s match wasn’t particularly easy to win, as after the US Open, due to injuries, I didn’t practice much. But overall, I am very happy to be able to win today.”

Regarding the recovery of his knee, Zhang Zhiwen said: “I told the team during the second game that my knee had some reaction, but fortunately there was no further reaction afterwards. The running movements were relatively normal later on, which are all positive signals for me.”

Regarding a rally of 40 shots during the match, Zhang Zhiwen said: “When I have confidence in my knee, I will go all out for every point.”

Regarding the big loss in the second set, Zhang Zhiwen said: “I feel it is a very normal fluctuation in state. It has also been a while since I participated in a match. In the first match, whether it’s in terms of mentality, technique, or choice, there will be some mistakes or roughness. However, I also maintained patience, including several break points in the third set that I couldn’t convert. Indeed, I missed the opportunity balls. It’s not that I was nervous, maybe I wasn’t quite in the right position. I think this is all very normal, so I accept it calmly and continue to look at the next point, striving to find the next opportunity ball.”

In the next round, Zhang Zhiwen will face Italian player Bellucci, about which he said: “It’s been a long time since I played against him, so I’ll study more about him when I get back.”