Nagoya (Japan) (AFP) - Chinese Wang Xiu won the women's singles tennis title at the Asian Games held in Japan on Friday, a day after she ousted top seed Alex Eala, by defeating her compatriot Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-1, to also secure a qualification ticket to the Los Angeles Olympics.
Published on: 02/10/2026 - 10:48
Wang (25 years old) had no difficulty overcoming her compatriot in 66 minutes at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya.
Tennis is one of seven sports in the Games, the winners of which receive a qualification ticket to the Olympic Games.
Wang praised Zhang (37 years old), the winner of several Grand Slam titles in doubles competitions, who added a second silver in Asian Games singles to the one she achieved in 2018 in Jakarta.
Veteran Zhang also previously won gold in team tennis during the 2010 Gwangju tournament, when Wang was only nine years old.
"She is someone I have great respect for," Wang said. "Everything she has been through is also a source of encouragement to me."
She added, "But on the field, the greatest expression of respect I can show to her is to give my best when facing her."
The match was one-sided, in contrast to the battle that Wang fought 24 hours ago against the Filipino star Ayala, when the Chinese woman, ranked 85th in the world, needed two hours and 34 minutes of strong competition to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
"This is how sports are, this is how competition is at the highest level. Your actions speak for you," Wang added.
She continued, "When you experience success after overcoming difficulties, then you realize that it was all worth it. Keep trying."
She then revealed that her tennis skills are far superior to her cooking abilities, but the most important thing in her opinion is not to give up.
“Take me as an example. I tried to make a dish of fried cauliflower, but it was completely burned,” she said, adding, “Preparing this dish is quite difficult, and it is very easy to ruin it. I will keep trying.”
In the men's singles final on Saturday, Hong Kong player Coleman Wong, ranked 100th in the world, will meet Chinese Wu Yiping, ranked 111th.
© 2026 AFP
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