No expectations, no pressure. That was Jurij Rodionov's mindset entering the week at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Ningbo, China. It was just the second Challenger main draw appearance for the 18-year-old Austrian and one he will never forget. Rodionov crashed onto the scene in Ningbo with an arsenal of seismic serves and groundstrokes. He would register one of the biggest comebacks and upsets of the year, sending shockwaves throughout the ATP Challenger Tour. Trailing 3-6, 1-5 against World No. 76 Jordan Thompson in Friday's quarter-finals, Rodionov, a qualifier at No. 691 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, refused to go down without a fight. "First of all, it was my first match against a Top 100 guy," Rodionov told...
The future of Chinese tennis could not be brighter with 18-year-old Wu Yibing leading the charge. But on Friday, the #NextGenATP star took a trip into the past while competing at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Ningbo. Wu visited one of the oldest drum towers in China, located in the heart of the city. The teen, who is soaring up the Emirates ATP Rankings after lifting his first Challenger tilte in Shanghai in September, took a tour of the tower complex with his team - coaches Nahum Garcia Sanchez and Chen Yanbei and physiotherapist Antonio Torres. The three-story structure atop the city gate served as a war-time lookout post. The bell tower forms part of the ancient city wall,...
A LOOK BACK International Challenger Ningbo (Ningbo, China): Second seed Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei won his 25th ATP Challenger Tour title with a dominant victory over Hiroki Moriya of Japan, 6-3, 6-1. Lu saved four match points in his semi-final win over sixth seed and #NextGen star Hyeon Chung of Korea. The veteran has been a dominant force at this event, winning three of the four editions of the Ningbo Challenger. He is also the third player to successfully defend a Challenger title this year. Lu has recorded an outstanding 29-5 record on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2016, winning three titles (Ningbo, Surbiton, Ilkley) and finishing runner-up at two other events (Seoul, Bangkok) Open Brest Arena Credit Agricole...