Tennis players from 16 universities across China and the United States competed in the 2024 China-US University Tennis Friendship Tournament finals at East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai on Aug 17.

Matthew Kandel from Williams College clinched the men's singles title, while Zhang Qingyang from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics triumphed in the women's singles.

"Today's matches were tough. The Chinese players were very strong and passionate. I'm lucky to have won. I love China and Shanghai. If there are more events like this in the future, I will definitely come back," said Kandel.

Zhang, thrilled by her victory, said that she learned a lot during the matches, facing strong opponents who played decisively. On the court, they were opponents, but off the court, they were friends. She hopes for more opportunities to interact with foreign players so that she can grow more as an athlete.

In the doubles competitions, Zhejiang University's Xi Zixuan and East China University of Science and Technology's Gao Zhiyang won the women's doubles, while Wu Jia from Southwest University and Li Zefeng from Shanghai Jiao Tong University secured the men's doubles title after a tiebreaker.

Held to foster Sino-American youth exchanges, the tournament, which featured six events over the course of three days, also included a mixed doubles exhibition match, delighting the audience with some thrilling exchanges. Prior to the finals, Chinese teams had already won the men's and women's team events.

Jesse Frieder, an American coach from Boston University, remarked on the impressive skills of Chinese players, describing the matches as exciting and an unforgettable experience. Falling in love with China on his first visit, he expressed interest in Chinese culture and looks forward to future exchanges.