China's Buyunchaokete overwhelmed by pressure in Australian Open first round

MELBOURNE -- Buyunchaokete faced a challenging combination of technical and psychological pressures in his Australian Open debut, ultimately losing in straight sets to Lebanon's Hady Habib on Sunday.

The 22-year-old, affectionately known as "Little Bu" by Chinese fans, expressed disappointment after his 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-7 (6) defeat.

"Today, I felt I didn't reach my best level; he controlled the pace of the match throughout," Buyunchaokete said.

Last year, he exited in the first round of the US Open after losing to eighth seed and former US and French Open finalist Casper Ruud. However, Sunday's loss stung even more for him, as the 219th-ranked Habib was making his first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam main draw after advancing through the qualifying rounds.

The match on Court 13 drew much attention after many other matches were canceled. The atmosphere was electric, with fans close to the action amplifying their cheers for the two players.

After two hours and 31 minutes of play, Buyunchaokete acknowledged the pressure, particularly given Habib's lower world ranking.

"He played exceptionally well; I had very few opportunities on his serve, which added to my stress," Buyunchaokete explained. "I was in a situation with no margin for error because he held his serve so easily. I was just trying to hold on to my serve."

Despite the heavy psychological burden, Buyunchaokete refrained from making excuses. He recognized the ups and downs of professional tennis.

"I will take away many lessons from this experience," he said. "I think this Australian Open has given me new insights psychologically. Even though my opponent played well, I kept looking for ways to improve and didn't give up."

Looking ahead, Buyunchaokete, ranked 67th in the world, shared his plans to compete and train in France and the United States.

"The season is long, and I need to focus on my performance throughout the year, not just this week," he said.