‘Moving Great Wall': China unleash towering teen basketball star
CHINA look set to unleash their 2.26m (7ft 5in) 'moving Great Wall' at the Women's Asia Cup after teenager Zhang Ziyu put in another towering display days after her debut.
The 18-year-old centre scored 18 points as China beat great rivals Japan 101-92 on Wednesday in Xi'an in a warm-up for the regional tournament next month on home soil.
It was her third appearance for the senior Chinese squad, having helped them to blowout victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina over the weekend.
Chinese state media dubbed her and gangly centre Han Xu the 'Twin Towers'.
Zhang's looming presence on court -- footage showed her barely needing to jump to make a basket -- seemed to stump Japan head coach Corey Gaines.
Asked if he had figured out a way 'to deal' with the teenager, the American ex-NBA guard told reporters: 'We'll just say: Interesting. Very interesting.'
Zhang hails from northern China's Shandong province and had reached 2.10m by the end of primary school.
She has been likened by Chinese fans to Houston Rockets great Yao Ming.
Yao, who at 2.29m was one of the tallest NBA players in history, was known as the 'moving Great Wall' before retiring from basketball in 2011 and Zhang has now taken on the nickname.
Both of Zhang's parents played professional basketball.
Her father, Zhang Lei, turned out for the Chinese Basketball Association's Jinan Military Region while her mother Yu Ying played as a centre for Shandong, according to local media.
The teenager may have a distinct height advantage but she has been told she needs to sharpen up.
Experienced centre Yang Liwei said after Wednesday's win that Zhang 'could have been tougher on some shots'.
'I think she played at her normal level,' added Yang, who helped China win the Asian title in 2023.
China meet Japan again on Friday at home for another warm-up.
Both will play at the Women's Asia Cup in Shenzhen from July 13.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Car collection of late McLaren co-owner Ojjeh up for sale
LONDON (Reuters) -A unique collection of 20 barely used McLaren road cars that belonged to the Formula One team's late co-owner Mansour Ojjeh is being put up for sale, with hopes one very wealthy buyer might keep it together. Classic and historic car dealer Tom Hartley Jnr announced on Sunday he had been appointed by Ojjeh's family to handle the sale, which could fetch more than $70 million. Hartley also oversaw the sale earlier this year of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's collection of 69 historic grand prix and Formula One racers to Red Bull heir Mark Mateschitz. Ojjeh's collection includes the very last model of the McLaren F1 to be built, finished in a unique 'Yquem' colour that was subsequently renamed 'Mansour Orange' by McLaren and which has just over 1,800km on the clock. Only 106 of the McLaren F1 sportscars were made between 1992 and 1998 and a 1995 one that had done less than 390km sold for $20.4 million in a 2021 auction at Pebble Beach, California. All the other cars are in the same orange colour and all are the final chassis made of each model. Apart from the F1 and a P1 GTR, the cars are all unused and have been maintained by the manufacturer. Accompanying photographs showed them displayed at the Bahrain F1 circuit. "Mansour was a founding father of McLaren as we know it today," said McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown in a statement. "A massively passionate racer and automotive enthusiast and no bigger fan of McLaren. His collection is very special, I'm not aware of anything else that compares with it," added the American, who has his own impressive collection of cars. Ojjeh, a Paris-born Saudi businessman, succeeded his father as CEO of Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) and sponsored the Williams F1 team in 1979. He then took an ownership stake in McLaren in 1984, financing the development of TAG-Porsche engines that won two constructors' titles and three drivers' championships. Ojjeh, who died in 2021 at the age of 68, was a key figure in launching McLaren Automotive with Ron Dennis. "Being entrusted with the sale of Mansour Ojjeh's McLaren collection is akin to handling Enzo Ferrari's Ferraris or Ferdinand Porsche's Porsches," said Hartley. "This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled, and I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer." ($1 = 0.7292 pounds) (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Raducanu back at Wimbledon as British number one but tempers expectations
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 28, 2025 Britain's Emma Raducanu during a practice session REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge LONDON (Reuters) -The first round of Wimbledon begins on Monday with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz seeking a hat-trick of titles at the All England Club while women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka resumes her quest for a first major this year after two runner-up finishes. TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: EMMA RADUCANU V MINGGE XU Emma Raducanu strides onto the grasscourts of Wimbledon on Monday as the British number one, a world away from the wide-eyed teenager who burst onto the scene at the All England Club four years ago. "It does feel like a long time ago. A lot has happened in the last four years," Raducanu told reporters, reflecting on her meteoric rise from obscurity to the fourth round in 2021, a run that preceded her astonishing U.S. Open triumph later that year. Raducanu faces 17-year-old British wildcard Mingge Xu, who will be making her own Grand Slam debut this year. "It's good to see a new generation, it keeps us on our toes. It keeps us hungry to improve. It's just healthy competition between all of us," Raducanu added. The intervening years have been more of a cautionary tale, as injuries and the constant changing of coaches prevented the 22-year-old from building on that early success. A recent back injury also forced her to withdraw from the Berlin Open and Raducanu arrives at Wimbledon with a question mark over her physical condition, saying her back is not yet at 100%. Once the darling of British expectations, Raducanu now seeks to manage them carefully, speaking with the hard-earned wisdom of someone who has experienced both the summit and the struggle of professional tennis. "Truthfully I don't expect much from myself this year," she said. "I know I've just been dealing with certain things. I just want to go out there and embrace the moment, embrace the occasion." TOP MEN'S MATCH: TAYLOR FRITZ V GIOVANNI MPETSHI PERRICARD While most top seeds fine-tuned their game on Wimbledon's pristine practice courts this week, Taylor Fritz was busy collecting silverware on England's south coast, a strategy the American hopes could finally unlock his Grand Slam potential. The ninth seed arrives at the All England Club as the in-form player on grass having claimed two titles, beating Alexander Zverev on his home turf to lift the Stuttgart Open before he defended his Eastbourne Open title on Saturday. "One more title and I might have to buy a house here," quipped Fritz after clinching his fourth Eastbourne crown in six editions on Saturday. Fritz's unconventional preparation, playing competitively right up to the start of Wimbledon while rivals opt for closed practice sessions, represents a calculated gamble for a player whose Grand Slam performances have failed to match his seeding. Despite enjoying fourth-seed status at both the Australian Open and the French Open this year, the 27-year-old American failed to reach the second week at both majors. But where some players might see risks related to fatigue with such a tight turnaround, Fritz sees a competitive advantage. "It is what it is, having to play at Wimbledon on Monday," Fritz said. "I'd rather go into a tournament with a lot of confidence than being there for the whole week just practising." WIMBLEDON ORDER OF PLAY ON MONDAY (prefix number denotes seeding) CENTRE COURT (play begins at 1230 GMT) Fabio Fognini (Italy) v 2-Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) 9-Paula Badosa (Spain) v Katie Boulter (Britain) Arthur Rinderknech (France) v 3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) COURT NUMBER ONE (play begins at 1200 GMT) 1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v Carson Branstine (Canada) Jacob Fearnley (Britain) v Joao Fonseca (Brazil) Emma Raducanu (Britain) v Mingge Xu (Britain) COURT NUMBER TWO (play begins at 1200 GMT) Benjamin Bonzi (France) v 9-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Romania) v 6-Madison Keys (U.S.) 4-Jasmine Paolini (Italy) v Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) 5-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (France) (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
YouTuber Paul cruises past Chavez Jr
YOUTUBER-turned-boxer Jake Paul cruised to victory over Mexico's Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on Saturday in a one-sided cruiserweight bout in California. Paul, whose last fight was a controversial clash with 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November, dominated from the outset to win by unanimous decision. The 28-year-old influencer, who has earned millions from a string of lucrative contests in a ring career that has spanned 13 fights, had too much speed and power for Chavez Jr. The three judges at ringside scored the 10-round fight 99-91, 97-93, 98-92 in Paul's favour. Chavez Jr, the 39-year-old son of Mexican boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez, barely looked capable of mustering a response during a one-sided bout. Chavez Jr failed to land a single punch in the opening round, a pattern that followed the remainder of the contest, with Paul easily outscoring the veteran of 63 professional fights. Paul, who reportedly pocketed around $40 million for his made-for-Netflix fight with Tyson last year, received around $300,000 guaranteed from Saturday's bout. However the American is expected to earn around $8-10 million from the fight once earnings from pay-per-view and sponsorships are taken into account.
