On the afternoon of January 31, the pre-match press conference for the 2024 Davis Cup Men's Tennis Team World Group II Playoffs China VS Slovenia was held at the Tennis House of the International Tennis School in Guangzhou Development Zone. Wu Di, the captain of the Chinese team, said that currently five players of the national team have flown to Guangzhou from various places. It is the responsibility and honor of every player to fight for the country and win glory for the country. They must overcome difficulties such as jet lag and physical fatigue and strive to play in Guangzhou. exciting competition. The event will be held at the International Tennis School in Guangzhou Development Zone from February 2 to 3. This is the return of the Davis Cup to Guangzhou after five years, and the China-Sri Lanka war is about to begin.

"Five masters" gathered in Guangzhou

　　The Davis Cup was held in Guangzhou in 2019. Wu Di was still a participating player at the time. As the "big brother" of the team, he led Wu Yibing and other players to play. The Chinese team ultimately lost 2-3, but they saw hope of improvement.

　　Returning to Guangzhou after five years, Wu Di was quite emotional. From player to captain, from playing games to coaching, the change in roles made him learn to think from other people's perspective. "It's not easy for players to be on the court. They face different opponents and have to endure." Huge pressure." He said that the lottery ceremony will be held on February 1, and targeted deployment and preparation will be carried out after the lineup is released. The time is tight and the task is heavy.

　　When someone proposed the concept of "three famous generals", Wu Di half-joked that we were the "five masters". Indeed, the performance of the Chinese men's tennis team in the international arena in the past two years is obvious to all. Young player Shang Juncheng successfully passed the first round in his Australian Open debut last year and became the "No. 1 man" of the Chinese Tennis Association; Zhang Zhizhen relied on his outstanding performance last year With his performance, the world ranking soared to around 50, and he reached the top four of men's doubles at the Australian Open this year; Wu Yibing also made history by winning the championship at the ATP Dallas Tournament last year. Of course, the joining of two young players, Buyunchaoket and Zhou Yi, has made the average age of the Chinese men's tennis team younger, and all five of them are all-around players who can play both singles and doubles. This makes captain Wu Di quite pleased. This is also the youngest, most energetic and imaginative group of players in the Chinese Men's Tennis Team.

"Tennis World Cup" has high gold content

　　The Davis Cup men's tennis team event was founded in 1900. It is the only men's team event among tennis events hosted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is known as the "World Cup of Tennis". The Davis Cup is one of the highest-level and most influential international team competitions in the world of tennis today. It is also the oldest tennis tournament besides Olympic tennis. Last year, tennis teams from about 140 countries and regions participated in Davis Cup events at all levels. Top players such as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have all led their teams to win championship trophies. The Davis Cup represents the highest honor in men's tennis.

　　Lu Liang, director of the Event Department of the Tennis Management Center of the State Sports General Administration, said that this competition will last for two days. The Chinese men's tennis team and the Slovenian team will compete in a best-of-five series. The winning team will enter Davis in September. Cup World Group II event. There will be two singles matches on February 2, and a doubles match and two singles matches on February 3. The match will adopt a best-of-3-set system. If the first four matches have been decided, the fifth match will be It can no longer be done.

　　Lu Liang said that the software and hardware facilities in Guangzhou Huangpu are the best in the country. This season, Guangzhou is also particularly suitable for organizing tennis matches. Several members of the Chinese team have competed or trained in Guangzhou. Wu Yibing has also participated in the China Tennis Tour many times. Having won the championship at Guangzhou Huangpu Station, they are very familiar with the venue and atmosphere here, which will help them perform at their best.

Why is the Davis Cup so popular?

　　According to reports, participating in the Davis Cup is a necessary condition for qualifying for the Olympic Games. Only players who participate three times in the four-year Olympic cycle, especially those who participate in the Davis Cup twice in the Olympic year and the previous year, can rely on their world rankings. Qualify for the Olympics. Wu Di said that this is the last time the Chinese men's tennis team will participate in a team event before the Paris Olympics this year.

　　Wu Di said: "The players are currently in good physical condition and have a strong desire to play. When the specific draw results come out on February 1, we will study the tactical arrangements in detail; the opponents are very strong and every game is crucial."

　　The Slovenian team is captained by Greg Zemulja, and top players from the country such as Balazs Rola, Bol Altenak, Sebastian Dominco, Matic Kriznik and others participate in the competition .

　　Greg Zemlya said: "It feels very good to come to Guangzhou. It is very warm here. Several of our players have not trained and competed outdoors for several months. The Chinese team has made great progress and is very strong. I hope the two teams will The fans put on a great game.”

　　The Chinese team has participated in the Davis Cup for 45 years. Recently, many Chinese men's tennis players have achieved historic breakthroughs in the world rankings. Chinese fans' attention and expectations are growing day by day. This competition is sponsored by the Tennis Management Center of the State Sports General Administration, the Chinese Tennis Association, and the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau, hosted by the Guangzhou Huangpu District Sports Bureau, and operated by Guangdong Yueqiren Sports.

　　Text/Guangzhou Daily all-media reporter Sun Jiahui

　　Correspondent Chen Junliang Huang Wanyin