China’s Sian Jiang and Zimo Song will face each other in the women’s singles final of the 31st Rajshahi International Under-18 Junior Tennis Championship after winning their respective semi-finals on Thursday.
Sian booked her place in the final with a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory over compatriot Zensi Dong in the semi-final at the Rajshahi Tennis Complex.
In the other semi-final, Zimo won the first set 6-0 and was leading 1-0 in the second when her opponent, fellow Chinese player Zikan Yang, retired due to a lower-back injury.
The all-Chinese final, scheduled for Friday morning, has generated considerable interest among spectators and officials at the tournament.
“We will give our 100 percent and try to achieve a good result,” Zimo told reporters after reaching the final.
Asked who would win the title, she smiled and pointed towards herself.
Sian, too, said she wanted to win the championship.
Tournament referee Joy Mukherjee said rain had caused some delays to the schedule, but the organisers were trying to complete all matches within the stipulated timeframe.
“Foreign players and officials are enjoying Rajshahi. They like the city’s greenery as well as the enthusiasm of the spectators,” he said.
Speaking about the strong performance of the Chinese players, Mukherjee said China had established itself as a major force in Asian tennis.
“China is now in a strong position in Asian tennis. Its position in world tennis has also improved compared to the past. At the junior level, Chinese players are ahead of many of their Asian counterparts,” he said.
He also expressed hope that a Chinese player could win a Grand Slam title in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the men’s singles semi-finals are also scheduled for Friday.
Thailand’s Likhul Partcharapul reached the last four after defeating Hong Kong’s Shiv Mohan in the quarter-final. He will face Hong Kong’s Chun Kiu Lok in the semi-final.
In the other half, Hong Kong’s Chun Kiu Lok advanced by defeating China’s Limo Jo. China’s Fang Tianyi booked his semi-final berth after beating India’s Jagrut, while Chinese Taipei’s Jiche Chen also advanced to the last four.
Fang Tianyi will face Jiche Chen in the other men’s singles semi-final.
The organisers are also preparing to hold the men’s doubles final alongside the women’s singles final and men’s singles semi-finals on Friday.
Mukherjee expects closely contested matches on the final day.
“All the players who have reached the semi-finals and final have good rankings and have come through several tough matches. So, we are expecting competitive matches tomorrow,” he said.
