Grassroots players should also strive to become "masters", playing pool on the tennis court and by the pool table | club | pool table
Amateur competitions are no longer as harmonious as national fitness, and many grassroots players have delved into professional skills, making them another stage for competition. Recently, there has been fierce competition at the 2023 ITF International Tennis Masters Shanghai Station and the 8th Shanghai Billiards Club League Finals.
Come from abroad to compete
The Shanghai Pengmai Tennis Center in Baoshan District has become a stage for amateur tennis masters to compete. The ITF International Tennis Masters held here is the first time it has settled in Shanghai, with a tournament level of MT200.
This competition consists of 8 age groups including 30+, 35+, 40+, 45+, 50+, 55+, 60+, and 65+. There are 5 events including men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles, with a total of 32 events. The competition adopts a three set two win system. Except for the final where a referee is present to officiate, all other matches adopt the unique trust system of tennis, where the athletes on the field make their own judgments on factual issues, and the referee assists the players in explaining the rules, fully reflecting the sports spirit of fairness and justice in tennis.
Among the participants in this competition, there are retired professional athletes, tennis veterans with decades of experience, and more amateur players who are obsessed with tennis. A total of 299 players from 16 countries and regions participated, including 28 foreign players and 11 players from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. It is reported that there are also contestants who specially flew from France to participate, which shows the popularity of the competition.
The ITF International Tennis Masters is a new tournament system created by the International Tennis Federation in 2022 based on the original ITF International Veterans Tour. The naming of the Masters is more popular among young players, making the tournament more inclusive and attractive. The original intention of the competition is to attract the widespread participation of tennis enthusiasts with elite athletic and leisure skills, encouraging players to break age barriers and use tennis as a new way of socializing.
Mr. Yang, who is over sixty years old, has over 40 years of playing experience, and his enthusiasm for tennis has not diminished with his age. "I participated in the Shenzhen station in 2019, and later in the Nanjing station. I played in 55+groups at that time, but now I have played in 60+groups. This group is fairly divided, and everyone can play and exercise more purely."
The competition coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and the organizers carefully prepared the traditional festival food - Zongzi for the athletes from home and abroad. The contestants savored the delicious food while enjoying the exciting battles between experts from all over the world. The intense competition on the field and the joyful and peaceful atmosphere off the field were full of a strong festive atmosphere.
Competing for the "King of Clubs" in Shanghai Billiards
The 8th Shanghai Billiards Club League Finals of the "Industrial Bank Cup" Shanghai Urban Amateur League "Beauty International · Leqi Cup" in 2023 kicked off with Shanghai Jianying surpassing Billiards Club. 16 billiards clubs in Shanghai advanced to the finals through preliminary rounds, launching their final sprint towards this year's honor of being the "King of Clubs" in Shanghai Billiards.
The Shanghai Billiards Club League was founded in 2016 with the aim of resolving the "gap" in snooker sports in Shanghai and building a platform for mutual learning, exchange, and improvement among billiards clubs in Shanghai. After years of cultivation and polishing, the content of the competition has become more diverse, the competition has become more intense, the level of participation has been continuously improved, and the brand value has gradually increased, becoming another classic game of Shanghai billiards. Over the course of eight years, the continuous hosting of the competition has received active support and response from various sectors of society and clubs. Even during this special period of three years, the competition has found opportunities through the joint efforts of all parties, and has become an important platform for the Shanghai billiards industry to unite, overcome difficulties together, and gather strength.
This year's league was launched in early May, with the snooker 15 red ball team competition as the project, divided into two stages: the preliminary stage and the final stage. In the four rounds of preliminaries that ended earlier, 16 teams advanced to the finals, including the traditional strong teams Ding Junhui Shanghai, Badu Club, and Youhui 1. The performance of Xingwei Yuyuan and Shenshi teams remained strong, all advancing as group leaders.
In the first seven matches, six teams have been awarded the title of "King of Clubs" in Shanghai billiards. They are Ding Junhui's Shanghai team in 2016 and 2021, Lidu One team in 2017, Badu team in 2018, Pubai team in 2019, Shenshi team in 2020, and Xingwei Yuyuan team in 2022. That is to say, in seven years, only Ding Junhui's Shanghai team has won the championship twice, and no team has been able to successfully defend their title.
After fierce competition, the Shenshi Billiards team from Yangpu District defeated the Qingpu Taiwan Association team to win the championship, and the latter won the runner up. The Badu team from Pudong New Area and the Lidu table tennis team from Yangpu District are tied for third place.
This competition is fully guided by the Shanghai Sports Bureau and Shanghai Sports Federation, hosted by the Shanghai Social Sports Management Center, and organized by the Xuhui District Sports Bureau, Xuhui District Sports Federation, and Shanghai Billiards Association.
