Paris Paralympics: Wang Ziying, China’s first wheelchair tennis semi-finalist, eyes medal
She describes ‘emotional feat’ as she prepares to take on Diede de Groot of the Netherlands in the last four
Wang Ziying has described how wheelchair tennis changed her life after becoming the first Chinese player to reach a Paralympic semi-final.
The world No 5 was the only remaining women’s singles podium hopeful for China after toppling Angelica Bernal of Colombia 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros on Tuesday.
Four Chinese players had reached the last eight – a first – but Zhu Zhenzhen lost her match to Japan’s Kamiji Yui 6-1, 6-2, while China’s other two contenders, Li Xiaohui and Guo Luoyao, also exited.
Wang, however, edged closer to her childhood dream of winning a Paralympic medal, setting up a last-four clash with top-ranked Diede de Groot of the Netherlands on Wednesday evening Hong Kong time.
After facing world No 6 Bernal for the first time, Wang admitted to having felt “quite nervous”, before completing what she called “an emotional feat”.
“When I first picked up wheelchair tennis, I had a dream of competing at the Paralympic Games and making the podium,” she said.