Tennis feels like even more of a global sport after events in a green corner of south-west London on Thursday. With his final round victory on the Roehampton grass, Zhizhen Zhang has qualified for The Championships, meaning he will next week become the first Chinese man in the Open era to play in the main draw at The All England Club.

The best male tennis player from a country with a population of 1.4 billion, Zhang is No.178 in the world. The 24-year-old from Shanghai, who is the only Chinese man in the sport's top 250, won in four sets against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, going through 6-0, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(6).

While China supplied plenty of competitors in the gentlemen's singles from the 1920s to the 1950s, Zhang will be the first man from his country to feature at the grass court tournament since 1959.

He is also only the fourth Chinese man to play singles in the main draw of a Grand Slam since the Open era began in 1968, with the others being Wu Di at the Australian Open in 2013, 2014 and 2016, Zhang Ze at the Australian Open in 2014 and 2015, and Li Zhe at the 2019 Australian Open.

Away from Melbourne Park, the Chinese men hadn't fared so well until this week - this was a breakthrough moment for Zhang. China has had some success in women's tennis in recent years, with Li Na winning Roland-Garros in 2011, as well as the Australian Open in 2014, and also gaining membership of Wimbledon's Last Eight Club as a quarter-finalist.