Chinese men’s tennis faced a tough day on the court as both Zhang Zhizhen and Zhou Yi were eliminated in the first round of their respective ATP Challenger events.
At the Oeiras Challenger in Portugal, Zhang Zhizhen fell to Czech player Kolar with a score of 3-6, 4-6. Prior to the main draw, Zhang had endured a grueling qualifying campaign, playing two matches in one day that lasted nearly six hours, battling back from deficits against Domingues and Crețu to secure his spot. The physical toll was evident in the first round, as Zhang struggled to find his rhythm early, committing multiple errors to drop the first set. In the second set, he attempted to adjust but his mobility and shot quality declined due to fatigue, and a tense performance on key points led to another 4-6 loss. This marks his second consecutive first-round exit after the Rome Masters, casting a shadow over his prospects for the upcoming French Open. He earned 4 ranking points and €1,605 in prize money.
Meanwhile, at the Tunis Challenger, young Chinese player Zhou Yi faced American opponent Blanch. The first set was tightly contested with no breaks of serve, forcing a tiebreak. Zhou displayed composure and clutch play to take the tiebreak 7-4 and draw first blood. However, his form wavered in the subsequent sets as Blanch mounted a comeback. Zhou lost the second set 5-7 and was completely outplayed in the decider, falling 0-6, thus ending his run in the first round as well. The double defeat highlights the challenges Chinese players face on the ATP Challenger circuit as they strive to gain momentum and ranking points.