China’s newest tennis star Sun facing familiar foe in third junior grand slam final

Sun Xinran into girls’ singles final at US Open, where she will face Anna Pushkareva, who beat her at Wimbledon

The newest tennis star in China said she wanted to be like Zheng Qinwen and hoped she could play against the Olympic champion on the professional tour one day, after reaching the US Open girls’ singles final.

Sun Xinran beat Chukwumelije Clarke of the United States 7-5, 0-6, 6-1 to reach the final, where she will face fifth seed Russian teenage girl Anna Pushkareva.

New York is the third grand slam final for Sun this year, after reaching the last two at the French Open and Wimbledon, but she has yet to win a title. The Chinese star lost to Pushkareva in London two months ago, despite being a set up.

“I have no expectations any more. I’ll just play as if I’m going to lose,” Sun, the top girls’ seed, said. “I’ve already lost twice already, and tomorrow’s opponent is the same one I lost to at Wimbledon.

“I know her very well. She plays exceptionally well too. So I’ll just try my best to play my best tennis and see if I can do better than last time.”

Sun, who is 16 and started playing tennis a decade ago because her mother loved the sport, possesses a maturity beyond her age.