Shenhua manager shows off skills on tennis court
Edited by Ma Yue.
With Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua having a mid-season break, its Russian manager Leonid Slutsky spared some time for an international tennis tournament which is being held in suburban Baoshan District through Saturday.
The 2025 ITF World Tennis Masters Tour MT200 tournament at the PMAX Tennis Center has attracted over 500 participants, including 98 foreign players from 24 countries and regions.
They compete in different age groups for international points and rankings. Apart from the finals, the competition uses a "trust system" in which players agree on points and results, while the referee assists in just clarifying the rules.
Leonid Slutsky shakes hands with his opponent Yu Fahui.
Slutsky took part in the 50+ age group singles competition on Monday and lost 2-6, 0-6 to his Chinese opponent Yu Fahui. Despite the defeat, he was cheered by a lot of Shenhua fans on site.
It's the first time Slutsky took part in an ITF World Tennis Masters event. He said in earlier interviews that apart from playing football, he often calls friends to play tennis, not just for fun but also to keep fit.
The Masters Tour was launched in 2022 for amateurs aged 30 to 90. It has five levels of competitions from MT100 to MT1000.
