Chinese tennis stars Zhang Shuai and Wang Xiyu faced early exits at the Wuhan Open, with both players bowing out in the first round. On Tuesday, Zhang Shuai was defeated by Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, during an intense match in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province.
Putintseva dominated early in the first set, breaking Zhang’s serve twice to lead 5-2. Though Zhang rallied and managed to break back, narrowing the gap to 5-4, she couldn’t maintain the momentum as Putintseva converted another break point to clinch the set.
The second set saw Putintseva continue her aggressive play, immediately securing a break point to set the tone. With an impressive 80 percent success rate on her first serves, she maintained control throughout the set, ultimately sealing her victory with another 6-4 win. Putintseva’s next challenge will be against No. 15 seed and 2024 Paris Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic of Croatia.
Reference(s):
Home players Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu exit Wuhan Open in first round
cgtn.com
