Gains, set and match for Zambian tennis player

Tennis player Queen Esther Sakala admits she was surprised when she discovered just how the fierce the level of competition is at the Chengdu FISU World University Games.

"I learned a lot from watching the matches in Chengdu and their attitude toward the sport gives me a big push to fight harder in the future," she told China Daily on the sidelines of the event.

"They (the student-athletes) played very well and trained very hard."

Zambia, a landlocked country in south-central Africa, sent 13 athletes to the games to compete in athletics, tennis, table tennis and badminton. Sakala is one of three Zambian tennis players, also including Patricia Sazambile and Nabusanga mukwanya Hamayangwe.

Sakala lost in the first round of the women's singles but will also play in the women's doubles competition.

"I was not used to the hot and humid weather in Chengdu. It is much hotter than my country even in summer," she said of her first-round exit.

"Now I am adjusted to the weather, so I will play better in doubles."

The 23-year-old, an environment education and management major at the University of Zambia, tried a wide variety of sports throughout her youth, including soccer, basketball and volleyball. She picked up a tennis racket for the first time at the age of 12 and instantly fell in love with the sport. These days, she mainly plays tennis, badminton and squash.

"In Zambia, the most popular sport is soccer," Sakala said. "But now more girls play tennis."

Lusaka, Zambia's capital city, is home to numerous tennis clubs. Sakala plays both for a club and her university team.

"Tennis is an expensive sport in my country, so I have to find ways to make money to support my passion," she said.

Like most families who want a stable future for their children, Sakala's parents urged her to put study first ahead of tennis. She has a sister and a brother, but she is the only one of the three siblings pursuing sport as a career.

"I have a very tight study schedule on weekdays, so I can only play on weekends and during school breaks," she said.

Sakala makes full use of her limited training days, playing from 9 am to 6 pm.

Against her parents' wishes, the young woman has decided to go pro after graduating from university.

"I know it will be very tough (becoming a tennis pro), but I believe I can do it. Look at me, I am here representing my country at an international event," she enthused.

As a fellow left-hander, Sakala cites Spanish tennis master Rafael Nadal as an inspiration.

This is her first time participating in the FISU World University Games and also her first time visiting China.

"Before I came here, my knowledge of China only came from Jackie Chan movies and the Hollywood movie Kung Fu Panda," she said.

"China is so different from what I imagined. People are very nice and I am having a good time here."

She has been busy posting photos of her experience at the games on social media, sparking interest and curiosity from her friends back home.

After she finishes competing in Chengdu, Sakala plans to take a tour of the athletes' village, see some real-life pandas and explore the city.

"I am a panda fan, but I didn't know pandas are from here!" she said.