The Fort Worth Press - Newest China tennis hope Bu takes hard path to face world's best

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 67.564729
ALL 90.168501
AMD 386.045025
ANG 1.799991
AOA 912.503981
ARS 973.490388
AUD 1.481262
AWG 1.8005
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.7862
BBD 2.01653
BDT 119.347915
BGN 1.786093
BHD 0.376547
BIF 2946.344582
BMD 1
BND 1.304534
BOB 6.926344
BRL 5.611804
BSD 0.998767
BTN 83.937714
BWP 13.254487
BYN 3.26846
BYR 19600
BZD 2.013151
CAD 1.37665
CDF 2878.000362
CHF 0.857219
CLF 0.033584
CLP 930.261656
CNY 7.066204
CNH 7.073041
COP 4196.81264
CRC 515.913969
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 100.703228
CZK 23.126604
DJF 177.843737
DKK 6.821704
DOP 60.1306
DZD 133.10804
EGP 48.517284
ERN 15
ETB 119.598977
EUR 0.91335
FJD 2.220804
FKP 0.765169
GBP 0.765169
GEL 2.71504
GGP 0.765169
GHS 15.95504
GIP 0.765169
GMD 68.503851
GNF 8636.000355
GTQ 7.736966
GYD 209.343102
HKD 7.76988
HNL 24.830388
HRK 6.88903
HTG 131.833342
HUF 366.890388
IDR 15569.15
ILS 3.75883
IMP 0.765169
INR 84.143588
IQD 1309.5
IRR 42102.503816
ISK 136.650386
JEP 0.765169
JMD 158.415547
JOD 0.708504
JPY 149.13904
KES 129.000351
KGS 85.503799
KHR 4065.00035
KMF 449.500188
KPW 900.00035
KRW 1349.320383
KWD 0.30653
KYD 0.833818
KZT 484.459035
LAK 21880.000349
LBP 89550.000349
LKR 292.894577
LRD 192.800015
LSL 17.490381
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.795039
MAD 9.803504
MDL 17.568609
MGA 4585.000347
MKD 56.373726
MMK 2098.000346
MNT 3398.000346
MOP 8.008821
MRU 39.750379
MUR 46.100001
MVR 15.350378
MWK 1736.000345
MXN 19.279335
MYR 4.287504
MZN 63.899993
NAD 17.490377
NGN 1640.000344
NIO 36.830377
NOK 10.696745
NPR 134.551514
NZD 1.636822
OMR 0.384447
PAB 1
PEN 3.754604
PGK 3.93225
PHP 57.229998
PKR 277.750374
PLN 3.92228
PYG 7809.428317
QAR 3.641104
RON 4.548504
RSD 106.938699
RUB 95.676336
RWF 1355
SAR 3.755215
SBD 8.265027
SCR 13.582361
SDG 601.503676
SEK 10.371445
SGD 1.305204
SHP 0.765169
SLE 22.847303
SLL 20969.503664
SOS 571.000338
SRD 31.946504
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.755724
SYP 2512.53037
SZL 17.403651
THB 33.101968
TJS 10.666441
TMT 3.51
TND 3.071038
TOP 2.360404
TRY 34.281704
TTD 6.791866
TWD 32.144999
TZS 2726.565785
UAH 41.204246
UGX 3677.396831
UYU 41.742342
UZS 12790.000334
VEF 3622552.534434
VES 38.635648
VND 24820.068365
VUV 118.722038
WST 2.803608
XAF 599.348542
XAG 0.031696
XAU 0.000376
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.744353
XOF 599.348542
XPF 109.033528
YER 250.350066
ZAR 17.409585
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 26.440782
ZWL 321.999592
  • BCC

    3.4200

    142.37

    +2.4%

  • SCS

    0.3100

    12.91

    +2.4%

  • NGG

    0.5600

    66.24

    +0.85%

  • JRI

    0.0300

    13.25

    +0.23%

  • CMSC

    0.1200

    24.71

    +0.49%

  • CMSD

    0.1800

    24.95

    +0.72%

  • BCE

    0.1600

    33.02

    +0.48%

  • RIO

    0.3900

    67.23

    +0.58%

  • GSK

    -0.3800

    38.83

    -0.98%

  • RELX

    0.4700

    46.83

    +1%

  • AZN

    0.4800

    77.35

    +0.62%

  • RBGPF

    1.7400

    61.23

    +2.84%

  • RYCEF

    0.0100

    7.01

    +0.14%

  • BP

    -0.2300

    32.11

    -0.72%

  • VOD

    -0.0900

    9.65

    -0.93%

  • BTI

    0.0700

    35.18

    +0.2%

Newest China tennis hope Bu takes hard path to face world's best
Newest China tennis hope Bu takes hard path to face world's best / Photo: © AFP

Newest China tennis hope Bu takes hard path to face world's best

Bu Yunchaokete ultimately lost to top-ranked Jannik Sinner but his journey from rescued child to the semi-finals captivated the China Open and earmarked him for a bright future.

Text size:

Playing at home, the all-action 22-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough fortnight and recorded a number of personal firsts.

He reached the last four in Hangzhou last week for his best performance on the ATP Tour, before losing to fellow Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen.

With his confidence growing and the Beijing crowd behind him, Bu then defeated Lorenzo Musetti and sixth-ranked Andrey Rublev, both in straight sets, on the way to the semi-finals in the Chinese capital.

Bu came into Beijing on a career-high ranking of 96 and made life difficult for the world number one Sinner before going down fighting 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

The 23-year-old Italian, the defending champion and recent US Open winner, called it "a very tough and tricky match".

It was the first time they had faced each other on tour and Sinner was impressed with Bu, who will break into the world's top 70 for the first time after his Beijing exploits.

"He was very solid. He doesn't really have big weaknesses -- forehand, backhand, good serve, also the return game is very good.

"You have to earn every point you play (against him). Physically he's good."

Sinner is only a bit older than Bu and has already won 16 ATP titles, two of them Grand Slams.

But unlike many tennis stars who are earmarked for the top from a young age and get the treatment to match it, Bu's path has been very different.

More recently, the pandemic also stunted his development on court at a crucial moment.

Much more is to come, he says.

"This is only my third year in the professional tour," he said after the biggest match of his life on Tuesday.

"I started quite late. I turned pro quite late."

- 'Desire and spirit' -

Bu has amassed a legion of new fans not only with his exploits, but also because of the route he took from humble and difficult beginnings.

"The path I have taken is different from others," he said.

His name is Mongolian and he is from the far-western region of Xinjiang.

According to Chinese media, his father died and, after his mother remarried, he lived with his grandparents.

In hope of a better life, a young Bu was sent to a children's charity.

It was the start of a tortuous route towards elite tennis that took him to eastern China aged five and ended with him as the first Chinese man to reach the Beijing semi-finals.

"You could see the desire and fighting spirit in his eyes," Yu Jinxing, who would become his life-long coach, told Xinhua news agency.

Bu's idol is the three-time major champion Andy Murray, who recently retired after a series of injuries and was renowned for his never-say-die attitude.

"His belief in success despite failures resonates with me," Xinhua quoted Bu as saying.

"Starting from the ground up has grounded me," he added.

"It may be slower, but it's solid."

Bu will be in action again this week at the Shanghai Masters.

L.Holland--TFWP