By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
When rising star players from the world’s two most populous nations are playing U.S. Open qualifying round finals on an adjacent courts it’s certain to create a vibrant atmosphere.
That’s exactly what it was like when Jerry Shang of China and Ankita Raina of India were playing side-by-side on Courts 14 and 13 Friday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
With Queens, New York being the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, it’s not a surprise that these popular players from China and India would certainly draw a crowd, especially during U.S. Open qualifying tournament, the centerpiece of the U.S. Tennis Association’s free “Fan Week” offering.
Raina, playing on Court No. 13, faced Sweden’s Mirjam Bjorklund for the right to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open. It was especially important and historic for Raina, who was looking to join Sania Mirza as only the second woman representing India to reach the singles main draw at the U.S. Open. One couldn’t help but notice that most of the crowd were fans of Indian descent, looking to see if Raina would create some history for India in tennis. Over 140,000 people from India now call Queens home, with the hub of Indian culture on the borough mainly centered around Jackson Heights. However those that came out to watch Raina would end up crying in their curry as Bjorklund won a tougher-than-the-score-looked 6-2, 6-2 decision. While the Indian fans in attendance were no doubt disappointed, Bjorklund’s new finance, former Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov, was no doubt thrilled.
Shang, a rising star from China, was playing on Court 14 in his qualifying final against Otto Virtanen of Finland. While Raina’s court was ringed with fans, it was standing-room-only with people standing four deep for Shang. Queens, after all, is home of the one of the fastest growing Chinatowns in the United States. In Jon Wertheim’s U.S. Open tips column in his Sports Illustrated website tennis mail column mentioned that fans should take a jaunt to downtown Flushing just one subway stop down the line from the Mets-Willets Point stop to experience the best Chinese food in New York City. These immigrants from China comprise of over 240,000 in Queens and the ones who came out to support Shang got very excited when the 18-year-old won a second-set tiebreaker to force a decisive third set. “The Man Called Otto,” however, was quick to run to a 5-0 lead and held on to win 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-1.
The tennis wasn’t the highest of quality, even if just compared to other qualifying matches even though both were final-round matches with main draw slots on the line. But, it was part spectacle based on the ethnic make-up of those mostly surrounding the court, showcasing what makes this part of the world so exciting and diverse.
