Tennis maverick Hsieh Su-Wei displays on memorable Australian Open
The Taiwanese star, ranked as one of many world’s greatest doubles participant, reached the quarterfinal stage in Melbourne, the furthest she has ever gone as a singles participant in a grand slam.
“Like [when] I performed Naomi, I noticed the variety of her serve velocity, I felt like: ‘Wow.’ It’s essential be wanting ahead, wanting on the nice elements. I am this sort of particular person.
In contrast to most gamers on the skilled tour, Hsieh is with out a package or racket sponsor that means she pays for all her gear herself.
In keeping with coach Paul McNamee, she will go years with out altering her racket, one thing which many gamers do a number of occasions throughout a single match.
Taking part in with out a sponsor
Ranked fiftieth on this planet on the singles tour, Hsieh stays relaxed in regards to the chance her success in Melbourne might see a flurry of sponsorship alternatives come her manner.
“So for me, if I do not discover somebody who I can work [with], then I higher concentrate on tennis as a result of I am a tennis participant. You can not neglect what you are doing and what’s your first precedence. So I simply make selections. Quite simple.
“I do not assume it is a large deal to have it or haven’t got it.”
Rising up by means of the junior ranks in Taiwan, a rustic with out a lot tennis infrastructure, Hsieh demonstrated her early potential however her father, and mentor, might by no means get a sponsorship deal over the road.
She mentioned her slight construct used to place potential sponsors off, with them asking her to return again when she had grown some extra.
Undeterred, Hsieh began to play professionally on the age of 16, although life on tour wasn’t simple although. She struggled to join tournaments and was having to plan every little thing herself. That was till she met McNamee.
The previous Australian tennis participant took a Hsieh beneath his wing in 2011 and unburdened her of the executive complications. It allowed Hsieh to concentrate on her sport and unleash her true potential.
“He is form of like my trainer, my mum or dad, my household and pal,” Hsieh mentioned on McNamee’s affect.
“He is all the time behind me, subsequent to me, it was very useful. I really feel a lot help and a lot heat.
“I really feel very comfortable as a result of when you find yourself working with the people who find themselves all the time sort and constructive, you get a number of good power.”
Australian Open run
Hsieh has received three grand slam doubles titles, making her one in every of Asia’s most profitable gamers, and her unorthodox fashion of play makes her a constant thorn within the aspect for a few of the sport’s elite.
She appears to play on intuition which, if nothing else, typically makes for an excellent match for these watching.
Nevertheless, regardless of her document run in Melbourne this 12 months, Hsieh wasn’t feeling in nice type within the build-up to the match.
“That is what occurs. Generally tennis is sort of a feeling, psychological[ity] otherwise you simply want to vary a bit of bit and it occurs.”
Her refreshing way of living, and to the game of tennis, exhibits no signal of slowing down as she will get older.
However watch out to not point out her age an excessive amount of, as one reporter came upon to his price in Melbourne.
Hsieh delivered a rapier-like riposte to the query, adopted by her trademark smile.
“Simply little reminder [for] you. In Asia, we usually do not say the woman’s age within the public,” she mentioned, placing her finger to her mouth to shush the interviewer.
Age is only a quantity
Age is solely a quantity to the Taiwanese star.
“I am not targeted on that, so it is no downside for me, I simply do what I must do,” she mentioned.
“I attempt to make my work a bit of bit completely different. Yearly I attempt to discover one thing completely different to make it occur, to be extra strong or transfer higher.”
Now primarily based in Paris, France, together with her boyfriend and coach Frederic Aniere, Hsieh desires to benefit from her remaining years within the sport.
She’s proved all through her profession that she’s able to mixing with the most effective singles gamers on the WTA Tour and followers will definitely be hoping to see extra of her in grand slams to return.
“For me, it is essential to maintain wholesome, to be comfortable and to work exhausting. You simply must be affected person,” she mentioned, including that residing within the Paris offers her the right alternative to bask in her second love; meals.
“Discover different stuff you’ve got by no means tried as a result of I am the one who likes to strive all of the meals and I wish to strive different abilities on the court docket.
“Apply one thing you by no means use on the court docket since you by no means know when possibly you are going to use it.”
