Hangzhou, China, September 30, 2023: China’s Zhang Zhizhen beat Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) to win the gold medal in the Asian Games men’s singles on Saturday afternoon under the closed roof at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre.
Zhang, the top seed, overpowered No. 2 seed Watanuki after falling behind 4-1 in the first set. Zhang rallied behind his strong forehand and big serve to turn the match around.
“It’s been a very, very tough week, not just this match, but very tough for the whole week from the first match onwards,” Zhang stated. “But I’m super happy that from the beginning of the first match, step-by-step, I have played better and better tennis.”
Watanuki broke in the opening game of the match when Zhang double faulted then held serve at love to take a 2-0 lead. Zhang nearly went down 3-0 before prevailing in a lengthy third game for 2-1.
Watanuki broke again in the fifth game for 4-1 and appeared to be in control as Zhang had continued to have service trouble.
Zhang started to pick it up in the sixth game when he broke Watanuki for 4-2, then held for 4-3, and broke again to level 4-4.
Zhang then took his fourth straight game on serve for 5-4 and took the set 6-4 with another break as Watanuki committed repeated unforced errors.
“In the first set I told myself to calm down because I was rushing too much,” Zhang commented. “And in the second set, to be patient, keep going, keep going all the time and try to find some chances.”
Watanuki admitted he got rattled after moving out to the big lead early.
“In the first, I was a double break up,” Watanuki noted. “I lost my control a little bit. I was a little bit nervous as it was a final. That was a big turning point, and a regret for me.”
Zhang won an epic seventh game that lasted more than 10 minutes for a 4-3 lead in the second set. Watanuki stabilized himself and the set remained on serve until the tiebreak at 6-6.
Zhang got a mini-break at 4-3 when Watanuki hit a return long, then fired an ace for 5-3. Watanuki saved two match points down 6-4 before finally succumbing 9-7 when Watanuki sent a forehand wide.
In earlier action, Chinese Taipei’s Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan downed compatriots Lee Ya-hsuan and Liang En-shuo 6-4, 6-3 to claim the gold in the Women’s Doubles Final.
Chan and Chan, who are sisters, used strong service and good net play throughout the match to secure the victory. The win gave Chan Yung-jan the fifth Asian Games gold of her career.
“We were really well prepared before the match, and we’re very happy it was an all-Chinese Taipei final in the end,” Chan Yung-jan said. “I want to enjoy this gold first. But if I decide to play the Olympics, that (gold) will be the goal.”
The Chans, the No. 2 seeds, broke Lee and Liang twice in the opening set and were only broken once, taking the set in 49 minutes.
The Chans broke in the first game of the second set, then held serve to go up 2-0 and rolled on to take the set and match 6-3.
India’s Rutuja Sampatrao Bhosale and Rohan Machanda Bopanna beat Chinese Taipei’s Liang En-shuo and Huang Tsung-hao 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 to take the gold in the Mixed Doubles Final in the last match of the day.
Bopanna’s strong play in the second set and third set tie break was the difference maker in the end.
Liang and Huang quickly moved ahead 5-1 in the first set with two breaks and closed it out in 6-2 in 33 minutes and looked on the way to victory.
The second set was on serve until the eighth game when Bhosale and Bopanna broke to go up 5-3 then took the set 6-3 on serve.
Bhosale and Bopanna then clinched the match 10-4 in the tie break on an ace from Bhosale.
“They were playing really well and I think if I was someone playing my first or second Asian Games, I wouldn’t have thought of that (a comeback),” Bopanna stated. “But after playing for years on the Tour I am able to adapt, which you to need to find ways to win these matches, and I think that’s what really made the difference.”