"In this draw, everyone has a higher ranking than me" - Zhang Shuai says she has nothing to lose ahead of Paula Badosa China Open showdown
Zhang Shuai came into the China Open on a 24-match losing streak but she is now set to play Paula Baodsa for a spot in the semifinals. The Chinese player’s dubious streak was the longest in the tour’s history.
The continued period of poor form saw her world ranking drop outside the top-500. However, she started well by ousting recent title winner McCartney Kessler in her opener.
Zhang has since gone on to defeat the likes of Emma Navarro and Magdalena Frech en route to the quarterfinals. Speaking about her mindset, the Chinese said she was taking things one match at a time.
Looking ahead to her clash against Paula Badosa, Zhang said she was not too worried given that her poor ranking makes her an underdog in just about every match. She said at the pre-match press conference:
"I never saw the draw because I never really win a match, so there was no point for me to look forward to the next round. In this tournament, I really never think about the next match. Winning one was enough for me.
"In this draw, everyone has a higher ranking than me. When you are barefoot, you have nothing to lose. Just step on court, just play. So I do not have much to think about, to prepare. I will just focus on myself."
"My coach said he trusts me" - Zhang Shuai on coach's role in helping her return to form at China Open
Ahead of her quarterfinal showdown against Paula Badosa, Zhang Shuai spoke about her coaching team’s support. The Chinese said her coach never lost belief in her even when she was losing every match.
Zhang likened her current phase to something similar that she went through a few years ago in the lead-up to the Australian Open before reiterating her support staff’s belief in her.
"But my coach said, he said he trusts me. He said, 'for sure one day, if you win one win, you can continue win a lot matches, like 2016'," Shuai said at the same press conference.
"Before the Grand Slam first win, before the Australia Open, he tell me many, many times, yes, you lost every first round, but one day when you win first match, you will win a lot match. I think that's helping me a lot, a lot," she added.
Zhang and Badosa will lock horns in the China Open quarterfinal on Thursday. Their head-to-head stands at 0-0 as they are yet to face each other on the tour.