The China Open has partnered with the Chinese tech company Sogou. The signing ceremony was held yesterday (September 17) in Beijing, where Sogou was appointed as the only designated translation support for the premier tennis event. 

Sogou will launch the translation tool, Sogou Fanyibao, on September 19 with the tool  being designated as the official translation tool for the China Open and given to players at the event. When players conduct interviews at the China Open, their replies will be simultaneously written out in both Chinese and English on big screens behind them to enable fans to understand the answers immediately. 

Sogou was a subsidiary of Sohu and was established in 2004, originally focusing on web browsers. Later it separated from Sohu into an independent company in 2010 and continued to focus on web browser products. In addition it also has pinyin software and  translation products. 

The China Open, played annually in Beijing in October, is one of the top tennis events in the world. It is also the highest ranking tennis event held in China, attracting both ATP and WTA top players every year. One of the main problems of the event is the language barrier between players and Chinese audiences, which no doubt affects the experience of both the players and the audience. The application of AI technology in sports is very important these days and this partnership is obviously a step in filling this gap. 

The 2018 China Open will take place in Beijing from September 23 to October 7. 

Reference: PC Online 

Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick