China cinemas tap into Zheng tennis fever gripping country ahead of women’s final

Cinemas across China will throw open their doors for a special showing on Sunday, but it isn’t the latest blockbuster fans are flocking to see – it’s tennis star Zheng Qinwen.

The Olympic champion has finally broken her country’s China Open curse, and will be the first home player to compete in a singles final, men’s or women’s, since Chen Li lost to Chinese Taipei’s Wang Shi-ting in 1996.

With the National Tennis Centre in Beijing selling out, cinemas across the mainland have opted to show the...