China’s top three get Shanghai wild cards

Dubai: Three of China’s leading male players Zhang Ze, Wu Di and Li Zhe have been handed wild cards for October’s Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Zhang, Wu and Li have made tremendous progress during the past season organisers have rewarded the three with wild cards for the premier tournament to be held at Qi Zhong Tennis Centre from October 7 to 14.

“We see this as a tremendous opportunity for Wu, Zhang and Li and we are delighted to be in a position to offer them these wild cards which avoids them playing the tough qualifying rounds,” explained Tournament Director Michael Luevano.

“The world of professional tennis is highly competitive and the fact that we can open the door just a bit and give the guys the opportunity to test their games against the international stars, we feel will stand them in good stead with their careers,” he added.

Zhang is the No 1 Chinese male player and he is ranked at a career high of 166. Nicknamed “Big George” he plays No 1 in Davis Cup for the country and this year will mark his third time in the main draw for the Shanghai Rolex Masters, the last being in 2011.

Wu recently turned 21 and is also at a career-high ranking of 185. This will be the Wuhan native’s second time, and first since 2010, in the main draw for the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Li reached a career high ranking of 307 in July this year and is currently ranked 393. The 26-year from Tianjin has enjoyed quite a bit of success at Futures tournaments.

The Shanghai Rolex Masters voted the last three years the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 “Tournament of the Year”, will once again be hosting the best of the best including two time defending champion, Olympic Gold medallist and new US Open champion Andy Murray, winner of a record 17 Grand Slam titles Roger Federer, five time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and last year’s finalist and Davis Cup hero David Ferrer.