Sawt Falasteen - Newest China tennis hope Bu takes hard path to face world's best

Playing at home, the all-action 22-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough fortnight and recorded a number of personal firsts.

He reached the last four in Hangzhou last week for his best performance on the ATP Tour, before losing to fellow Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen.

With his confidence growing and the Beijing crowd behind him, Bu then defeated Lorenzo Musetti and sixth-ranked Andrey Rublev, both in straight sets, on the way to the semi-finals in the Chinese capital.

Bu came into Beijing on a career-high ranking of 96 and made life difficult for the world number one Sinner before going down fighting 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

The 23-year-old Italian, the defending champion and recent US Open winner, called it "a very tough and tricky match".

It was the first time they had faced each other on tour and Sinner was impressed with Bu, who will break into the world's top 70 for the first time after his Beijing exploits.

"He was very solid. He doesn't really have big weaknesses -- forehand, backhand, good serve, also the return game is very good.

"You have to earn every point you play (against him). Physically he's good."

Sinner is only a bit older than Bu and has already won 16 ATP titles, two of them Grand Slams.

But unlike many tennis stars who are earmarked for the top from a young age and get the treatment to match it, Bu's path has been very different.

More recently, the pandemic also stunted his development on court at a crucial moment.

Much more is to come, he says.

"This is only my third year in the professional tour," he said after the biggest match of his life on Tuesday.

"I started quite late. I turned pro quite late."

- 'Desire and spirit' -

Bu has amassed a legion of new fans not only with his exploits, but also because of the route he took from humble and difficult beginnings.

"The path I have taken is different from others," he said.

His name is Mongolian and he is from the far-western region of Xinjiang.

According to Chinese media, his father died and, after his mother remarried, he lived with his grandparents.

In hope of a better life, a young Bu was sent to a children's charity.

It was the start of a tortuous route towards elite tennis that took him to eastern China aged five and ended with him as the first Chinese man to reach the Beijing semi-finals.

"You could see the desire and fighting spirit in his eyes," Yu Jinxing, who would become his life-long coach, told Xinhua news agency.

Bu's idol is the three-time major champion Andy Murray, who recently retired after a series of injuries and was renowned for his never-say-die attitude.

"His belief in success despite failures resonates with me," Xinhua quoted Bu as saying.

"Starting from the ground up has grounded me," he added.

"It may be slower, but it's solid."

Bu will be in action again this week at the Shanghai Masters.

L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST