Wang Qiang, Fresh From Upsetting Serena, Now Believes She Belongs

She was plenty good on Friday against Williams. Drouet said the key was Wang’s ability to forget what had happened just months before in New York. “There she put a lot of pressure on playing Serena, on playing on Arthur Ashe for the first time,” Drouet said. “So, mentally, we tried to work on that aspect of the match. She has to stay herself. She has to stay Q, with her personality and her style of game, and play like any other match.”

Staying true to her style of game meant being aggressive, which she had been unable to do in New York, hitting zero winners. On Friday afternoon in Rod Laver Arena, bolstered by increased strength, she hit 25 winners. That prevented Williams from easily overpowering her.

“We worked really hard in the off-season,” Wang said. “We did a lot in the gym, so I have more power now. I have confidence, so much more confidence than last year.”

Drouet, who now also directs her physical training, said he emphasized adding upper body strength after seeing her get knocked around by Williams in New York. “I said, ‘You see, to challenge these girls you need more power,’” Drouet said.

And while Drouet believes steadiness will always be the foundation of Wang’s game, he has pressed her to be less passive compared with last season.

“She couldn’t win big tournaments waiting for the other one to miss,” Drouet said. “She’s almost doubled her winners per match.”

Wang’s reward for beating Williams is being the clear favorite in her fourth-round match Sunday against 78th-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, against whom she is 2-0.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/sports/wang-qiang.html?emc=rss&partner=rss