As well-heeled spectators shuffle into Zhuhai's 5,000-seat Hengqin International Tennis Center for tonight's showdown between Hungarian Tímea Babos and hometown favorite Zhang Shuai, the tension in the air is palpable.

There is much anticipation surrounding the match, particularly among locals, with some extreme fans believing that the world No. 28, Zhang, might even be able to go all the way and take home a large chunk of the 14.93 million yuan ($2.21 million) prize pot, and a whole lot of national pride to boot.

This is the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) Elite Trophy, a women's international tennis tournament organized by the Zhuhai Huafa Group, and first held in 2015. Since its establishment but just a year ago, it has fostered a great deal of public interest in tennis, with many of the nation's school playgrounds now inhabited with girls and boys lobbing and smashing to their hearts'content.

In just two years the WTA Elite Trophy has grown to become one of the top four tennis events in China, joining the China Open in Beijing, the Shanghai ATP Masters, and the Wuhan Open.

Wrapped in a ribbon of glass, the Hengqin International Tennis Center may not be the biggest tennis venue in the world, but it is certainly one of the classiest. [Photo by Cao Yinan/China Daily]

As soon as I enter center court I notice the unique bulbous umbrella-like dome overhead, sheltering the vivid blue court below where the two pros will shortly clash. Costing some 567.78 million yuan, the Hengqin International Tennis Center was designed by Populous, a global collective of designers, architects and industry experts.

Earlier I had marvelled at the design of the venue, wrapped like a ribbon in slivers of reflective glass. In the belly of the building I passed through corridors lined with state-of-the-art video equipment, and experts stringing racquets to a perfect tension.

Back in the now, and Zhang Shuai makes her entrance onto center court to a roar from the crowd, the beat of triumphant music and a plume of smoke. She enters carrying her racquet bag as well as the hopes of her many Chinese supporters.

Hometown favorite Zhang Shuai, returns serve against Hungarian Tímea Babos at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, on Nov 3. [Photo by Cao Yinan/China Daily]

As she warms up it's hard to think that this tennis center, which many call the pearl of Hengqin New Area, was just a collection of disused ponds and sandy outcrops a little over two years ago.

The 117,000-square-meter complex serves as an example of the unique and brisk development of Hengqin New Area, which was approved by the State Council in 2009, and upgraded to a free trade zone (FTZ) in 2015. A fellow reporter informs me that the area is now the most expensive to buy in all Zhuhai thanks to its rapid and international development prospects – and I agree, it's not even finished and it has its own international tennis event!

Because of its development potential, Hengqin has proved very popular with international investors, especially those from Macao, which is “just a bridge away” as the locals say.

In 2015, Niu Jing, director of the administrative committee of Hengqin New Area, said that leisure and resort companies from Macao had so far injected some 200 billion yuan into the tourism sector, accounting for more than 50 percent of investments.

And it shows, Hengqin New Area screams of aspiration and development, with apartments, schools, hotels, and retail and leisure facilities turning up quicker than one of the serves on center court.

After one hour and forty-five minutes the crowd erupt once again into a thunderous roar as Zhang sweeps a ball across court to take the match 7-6, 6-4. After shaking her opponent's hand, she gives a brief interview, thanking the crowd and everyone watching at home.

Based on today's result, the next few matches are looking good for Zhang, just as the years ahead are for Hengqin New Area.