China's Zhang Zhizhen made a remarkable push at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany, reaching the semifinals before falling to Italy's Jannik Sinner with a score of 4-6, 6-7(3). Despite the loss, Zhang's impressive performance elevated his live ranking to 33rd, positioning him just within the top 32 seeds required for Wimbledon.
In a twist of fate, Australia's Jordan Thompson, who was Zhang's main rival for the seed spots, was defeated by Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinal of the Cinch Championships in London. Additionally, 25th-ranked Jiri Lehecka withdrew from Wimbledon due to a back injury, further clearing the path for Zhang to become the first male player from China to secure a seed at the prestigious Grand Slam.
Zhang's journey in Halle was nothing short of inspiring. He stunned third-seeded Daniil Medvedev with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5) victory and overcame a tough battle against Christopher Eubanks, winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the semifinals. Although his dream of a first grass-court final was cut short, the outcome in London secured his historic seeding at Wimbledon.
Looking ahead, Jannik Sinner is set to face Hubert Hurkacz in the final, who recently triumphed over Poland's former Terra Wortmann Open winner Alexander Zverev with a score of 7-6(2), 6-4. Hurkacz is now just one win away from claiming his second title at the tournament.
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China's Zhang Zhizhen seeded at Wimbledon despite losing Halle semis
cgtn.com
