"If I were to score this trip to the National Games, I would score 120 points." In the tennis competition of the 15th National Games, Liu Jinjian, the coach of the Hong Kong tennis team, who won two bronze medals, commented. This is also the second time that the Hong Kong team has won a medal at the National Games after 24 years, creating a new history.

On November 20, the tennis event of the 15th National Games ended in Hengqin. Wu Yixuan defeated Shang Juncheng and won the men's singles championship; Zhu Lin defeated Gao Xinyu to win the women's singles championship. The 12-day protracted competition produced 6 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 12 bronze medals. Among them, there are the sweat and tears of the athletes, as well as the cooperation and efforts of all parties organizing the tournament.

During the competition, Nanfang+ reporters interviewed the athletes, coaches, referees, spectators, etc. of the Hengqin tennis event, who either participated, or watched, or deeply participated in the operation of the event.

A national tennis event tests the city's ability to host and undertake competitions, and opens up a more imaginative future.

"The stadium facilities are very top-notch"

Yin Jianwei is the chief referee of the tennis event of the 15th National Games, and before the competition, he has been to Hengqin, Guangdong several times and communicated many details with the organizers.

"Hengqin has held many professional events such as ATP, which is very professional. But the difference between the National Games is that it has more projects and more people, so we have done some communication transformations in the early stage. Yin Jianwei mentioned that for example, the ground of several venues such as the center stadium has been resurfaced and the facilities have been improved to make it more suitable for large-scale competitions such as the National Games.

As the chief referee, he specifically mentioned the Eagle Eye equipment. "In this competition, there are three venues with Eagle Eye equipment, including the center court, No. 1 and No. 2 courts, which are of great help to our referees and athletes." In his opinion, the tennis event of the National Games ran very smoothly. "The whole arena is a well-equipped venue. It is also more suitable for the level of players, and it is also very suitable for spectators and fans to come to watch the game. ”

Wang Chuhan, the coach of the Beijing team, has also been to the Hengqin International Tennis Center several times and is very impressed. "I used to play a few challenges when I was an athlete, and it was the first time I came here after being a coach, and I felt that the environment here was very good, and the whole venue was also of very high standard." In Wang Chuhan's view, the National Games is the top competition in China and a good platform for young people to exercise. In this tennis competition, the Beijing team won gold medals in the youth men's and women's teams, and silver medals in the men's and women's singles in the adult group.

"I think the facilities have reached a very top level, and the experience for athletes and coaches is very good." Playing at home, Zhang Dongrun, the coach of the Guangdong men's tennis team, also spoke highly of the field. "I have been to the Hengqin International Tennis Center many times, from the ATP a few years ago to the previous WTA Super Classic, we have brought our players to participate. This time, I found that the venue has been upgraded and the various supporting facilities have been improved. ”

In the tennis competition of the 15th National Games, the Guangdong team achieved 1 silver and 2 bronze results. This is also the best result of Guangdong tennis in the National Games after the Sixth National Games in 1987.

"Loved the local atmosphere"

In the men's and women's tennis singles finals held on November 20, the scene was almost full. Applause was thunderous and cheers burst in. Many spectators made a special trip from other places to watch the game.

"I have been a fan for more than 20 years, and I often fly all over the world to watch the game." Mr. Li, a spectator, specially came from Guangzhou to Hengqin to watch the game, and found that the hardware conditions of the venue here were very good, such as the center court and the outer court had a roof. "In recent years, the foundation of the tennis masses in the Greater Bay Area has become better and better, and there are more and more new faces in the audience on the court, especially in Macau and Hong Kong."

Qin Yuna worked as a tennis volunteer in Guangzhou in 2019 and began to pay attention to tennis from that time. She is a fan of Zhejiang team tennis player Buyun Chaoket, and at about 6 a.m. on the 19th, she made a special trip from Guangzhou to watch Xiaobu's singles match.

"It feels very good to watch the game live, and you can see the landing point of the ball very clearly. He (Buyun Chaoket) has improved in terms of stability, ball quotient, and strength, and was still immature when he was a teenager. After the game, Qin Yuna said excitedly that all the top players in China came, and also saw the "left and right battle" of Wang Xinyu and Wang Xiyu, which was particularly exciting.

Not only the audience, but also for many tennis players, Hengqin is also a familiar old place.

Zhu Lin, who has just won the women's singles championship in the tennis competition of the 15th National Games, is an athlete of the Anhui tennis team. She revealed that she often comes to Hengqin to play. "It feels really good every time I play here, and I'm happy to be back after 2023, and I also like the atmosphere of the local fans. She said that no matter where she comes from, as long as she is a Chinese player, she feels very home in domestic competitions.

"Building a tennis ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area"

The 15th National Games is the first national games jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and Hong Kong and Macao have sent the largest sports delegations in history to participate. In tennis events, Hong Kong, Macao and mainland teams also had many exchanges and interactions.

"It is very convenient to come to Hengqin from Hong Kong, and for us Hong Kong players, it is equivalent to half a home stadium, and we have a strong sense of belonging."

Cheng Mingzhe, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, said in an interview that the conditions of the venue here are nothing to say, coupled with the support of the audience, many Hong Kong fans will come to cheer, and the atmosphere is particularly warm, which is a great encouragement for the players.

Liu Jinjian revealed that long before the National Games, the teams in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area had already had a lot of exchanges and integrations. In recent years, many provinces and cities in Hong Kong and the mainland have had many exchange activities and competitions. Hong Kong children go to the mainland to compete, and mainland players and teenagers come to Hong Kong to participate in some international competitions, which is very good. "We think that now we are a family."

At this National Games, a total of 11 players from the Macao team qualified for tennis, the oldest is 25 years old and the youngest is only 14 years old. For them, standing on the stage of the National Games is victory. 16-year-old He Strontium said that he had learned a lot from the first time he appeared in the National Games. He also revealed that he will often come to Hengqin to practice in the future, "it is very close to Macau, very convenient and has a good environment."

The joint hosting of the event will not only promote integration and exchange, but also help build a unique tennis brand and ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area.

"In the Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Hong Kong have seven or eight tennis events at different levels in a year. We have ready-made stadiums, fans, players and community base, and these natural conditions are too rare. Zheng Mingzhe said that tennis is a global sport, and if these events can be integrated, the Greater Bay Area is fully capable of becoming a tennis resort with a number of top events like Beijing and London, so that the tennis brand of the Greater Bay Area can go to the world and integrate with international standards.