12 | Monday, October 5, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

TENNIS CURLING Award­winning federation sweeping up new fans online

By MURRAY GREIG that is likewise gaining [email protected] viewership. “I don’t know what curling is After being named one of the going to look like coming out of top­10 digital media for winter this pandemic, but I think it’s sports at the recent Winter Sports starting to normalize,” Curling­ Tops Awards in Beijing, the World Zone president Gerry Geurts said Curling Federation’s year­old Wei­ in a recent interview with CBC bo channel continues to attract Sports in Toronto. followers in China. “People want to play. They want The channel’s aim, in partner­ to see their friends again and ship with iX.co and All Star Part­ socialize. I love being involved in ner, is to raise awareness of curling growing and building the game. by increasing its online presence We have to get people out curling ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter and get people comfortable being Olympics. Since being launched in back on the ice.” August 2019, the channel has In the midst of the pandemic, become the WCF’s largest digital rigid protocols have been put in platform, reaching nearly 100,000 place for Canadian rinks. followers in China. The Winter Sports Tops Awards are the most prestigious in the nation’s winter sports industry, The remarkable recognizing events, digital media, stadia and resorts that reflect its growth of our Sina advancement. Other international Weibo channel in its sports organizations recognized at Zhang Shuai fires a return during her 7­6 (2), 7­5 third­round victory over Clara Burel at the French Open in Paris on Saturday. XINHUA the September awards included first year proves the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth there is a desire for Olympic Games, the 2019­20 FIS freeski and snowboard halfpipe curling content in World Cup, and the Thaiwoo FIS China ahead of the freestyle ski moguls World Cup. “We are delighted to be recog­ Beijing 2022 Intrepid Zhang blazes a trail nized for all the hard work that Olympic and goes into developing and growing China’s digital platform for the Paralympic Winter Chinese ace enjoys last year’s Wimbledon. federation,” WCF president Kate Games.” Novak: Line judges are outdated Zhang, who learned her trade on Caithness said in accepting the hard courts, is attempting to take award. Kate Caithness, president of deep run in Paris the World Curling Federation her deepest run at the clay Slam in “The remarkable growth of our despite travel woes Novak Djokovic thinks it’s time for on the court. That’s my opinion,” he her stride. Sina Weibo channel in its first year tennis to let technology take over for said. “Of course I understand technol­ “I don’t think too much on court proves there is a desire for curling “There are curling clubs in big By SUN XIAOCHEN good and eliminate line judges entirely ogy is expensive, so it’s an economical and even off the court. I just relax content in China ahead of the Bei­ cities as well as the smallest com­ [email protected] in favor of electronic systems. issue and a question mark. But I feel and keep doing the same things,” jing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic munities … that’s what makes our And, yes, the world No 1 made a like we are all moving towards that she said. Winter Games, and we look for­ game so special,” world champi­ Zhang Shuai’s risky and trouble­ joke about what happened at the US and, sooner or later, there is no reason Zhang’s next opponent, 2012 ward to being able to bring even on Jennifer Jones said at last some trip to Paris has proved worth­ Open — he was defaulted after acci­ to keep line umpires.” semifinalist Kvitova, overcame more content to our Chinese fans.” week’s opening competition on while after the Chinese ace reached dentally hitting a line judge with a ball. At the US Open, Hawk­Eye Live was 18­year­old Canadian Leylah Fer­ All Star Partner vice­president the Canadian tour — a mixed­ the French Open fourth round for But he was serious about the larger used in place of line judges at all but nandez 7­5, 6­3 to advance to the Zheng Yanyu echoed that senti­ doubles bonspiel in Kitchener, the first time with a typically gutsy point he was making. the two largest courts, which did have fourth round in Paris for a fifth time. ment, adding: “In the past year, we Ontario. “The hard work that so display on Saturday. “With all my respect for the tradi­ full complements of officials. It was in A shock victory over the Czech are very proud to work together many people have done to ensure With the rest of her compatriots tion and the culture we have in this his fourth­round match in the biggest Republic’s two­time Wimbledon with iX.co to support the World the sport continues to grow and opting out of the resumed season sport, when it comes to people venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium, that champion would be one of the high­ Curling Federation with its digital thrive in these difficult times is amid the COVID­19 pandemic, present on the court during a match, Djokovic got disqualified when he lights of Zhang’s late­blooming and brand development in China. amazing.” Zhang made the long journey to the including line umpires, I really don’t unintentionally struck a line judge career. “Curling is now becoming more Matt Wilkinson, president of French capital count by outlasting see a reason why every single tourna­ with a ball while walking to the The 31­year­old ended an eight­ and more accessible for Chinese the Kitchener club, agreed. local wildcard Clara Burel 7­6 (2), 7­5 ment in this world, in this technologi­ changeover after losing a game in the year, 14­match first­round losing fans, who can easily enjoy content “It’s a new era. The amount of in two hours and 12 minutes to set cally advanced era, would not have first set. streak at the Slams in 2016 with a via the WCF official account on stuff and protocols to go through, up a clash against seventh­seeded (automated calls),” said Djokovic on Which is why he said with a smile quarterfinal run in Melbourne. Sina Weibo. Together with news understanding how we open the Petra Kvitova. Saturday after defeating Daniel Elahi on Saturday that if his idea about During Zhang’s lean years, Li rose on competitions, fan interactions, club, has been a lot to navigate,” The victory saw Zhang become Galan 6­0, 6­3, 6­2 to reach the eliminating line judges were adopted to stardom by winning the 2011 Chinese player interviews and said Wilkinson. the first Chinese to reach the last 16 French Open’s fourth round. by the sport: “Then I would also prob­ French Open and 2014 Australian other localized content, followers “What’s being accomplished is at Roland Garros since former win­ “The technology is so advanced ably have less chances to do what I Open titles before retiring due to a in China can stay well informed.” remarkable. To see curling ice ner Li Na did so in 2012. right now, there is absolutely no rea­ did in New York.” knee injury. The Weibo channel is a welcome available again is a big step. We Tianjin native Zhang almost son why you should keep line umpires — AP Reflecting on her tough win complement to CurlingZone.com, have a long way to go, but I’m very didn’t make it to Europe from New against the 19­year­old Burel — a an innovative Canadian website proud of what we’ve done.” York, where she lost in the first player she beat 6­3, 7­6 at the round of the US Open, due to a visa Strasbourg Open before coming to issue related to coronavirus regula­ Paris — Zhang said: “The match tions. She eventually got the green today I think we both played really light to make the trip just two days well and it was a really great before her next tournament in match. She played unbelievably Rome began on Sept 14, leaving her good. barely any time to adjust from hard “Despite it being just a week ago, to clay courts. she has improved a lot since we met “I got the visa a week after I lost at last. She is very young, but has got the US Open. I stayed in New York at everything on the court. Last time the official hotel, and I practiced on in Strasbourg, she didn’t play so the US Open’s hard courts, waiting,” steadily. But this time I could feel said Zhang. her confidence was higher after “I have maybe only one chance to winning two rounds at a Grand come to Europe. When I got my Slam.” passport from the embassy, we Zhang credited advice from her bought the tickets and we flew to longtime coach, Liu Shuo, for her Rome. We had to quarantine 24 dominance at the net, where she hours, and then I practiced only one won 22 points against Burel. hour. And the next day I started to “I try to build my tennis like this play.” and try to, as instructed by my Zhang’s determination to get to Novak Djokovic mops a French Open court after rain caused his coach, to come to the net and finish Europe despite the sizable obstacles opponent, Daniel Elahi Galan, to slip on Saturday. XINHUA points early,” she said. and inconveniences in her way is “But sometimes it’s working, Team China’s Nan Jiawen delivers a stone during an internal test typical of the perseverance that has sometimes not. I still learn and try event, running from Oct 1­7, at Beijing’s Shougang Industrial defined her career. to improve. From this match I can Park. With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics approaching, curl­ After three consecutive first­ her 2020 campaign, Zhang will Monday, having made major get more confidence. I am really ing’s popularity is growing among the general public, aided by round losses in Cincinnati, New be looking to equal her best per­ quarterfinals twice before — at happy about the last two matches. I the opening of new ice rinks and the increased availability of York and Rome since resuming formance at a Grand Slam on the 2016 Australian Open and won a lot points at the net.” artificial sheets across the country. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

ICE HOCKEY ent on live attendance for over 50 play 82 regular­season games with the start of the 2021 Summer Olym­ percent of its revenues, so having fans, player salaries could take a pics in Tokyo in order to fulfill its fans in all 31 rinks is a priority. huge hit. commitment to NBC, which is the NHL planning for bubble­less season “On whatever basis we may or “The players are adults; they league’s US TV rights holder and may not be able to have fans in our understand,” Fehr said. “They may also the broadcaster for the Games. By MURRAY GREIG director Don Fehr told Canadian substantially shorter period of time buildings is something that might not like it. They may grumble, and “In this world we live in, I think [email protected] Press after the Tampa Bay Lightning with people cycling in and out is well be beyond our control in terms they may wish it was different. I’m anything is possible,” said Fehr. defeated the Dallas Stars in a six­ one of the things I suspect we will of local government regulations sure owners do. I’m sure fans do. “What we have to do is basically The National Hockey League and game final to win the Stanley Cup examine.” that will determine how much the I’m sure everybody does. Nobody proceed on the assumption that its players’ association will meet last week in Edmonton, Alberta. A week after commissioner Gary shortfall is off what we are projec­ likes what we’re living through. But there will be a season, and that we within the next two weeks to discuss “Nobody is going to do that for Bettman said a mid­to­late Decem­ ting,” Bettman said. you don’t gain anything by sugar­ can figure out how to do it in a way possible scenarios for the 2020­21 four months or six months or some­ ber or early­January start to next Ahead of the pandemic­delayed coating or being less blunt than that provides the requisite health season, with both sides hoping to thing like that. Whether we could season was possible, Fehr said Dec 1 return to play in August, the league otherwise would be the case.” and safety for players and staff and avoid playing it in quarantined create some protected environ­ was the “earliest conceivable date”, and players’ association negotiated One scenario the NHL is report­ media and fans once we can get bubbles. ments in which people would be adding: “Nobody is going to rush it.” a long­term extension of their col­ edly considering would cut the reg­ them back in the arenas — but at “Certainly not for a season, of tested and they’d be clean when Unlike Major League Baseball lective bargaining agreement that ular season to 60 games and wrap the same time with some integrity. course not,” NHLPA executive they came in and lasted for some and the NBA, the NHL is depend­ acknowledges if each team can’t up the Stanley Cup playoffs before That’ll be the task.”