Wildcard Wei Sijia stunned the crowd at the Guangzhou Open on Monday by defeating sixth-seeded Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-4 in the women’s singles first round. Playing on home soil in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, the Chinese rising star showcased remarkable aggression and composure against her higher-ranked opponent.
In her first-ever encounter with Sramkova, Wei showed no signs of intimidation. After leveling the match at 1-1 in the first set, she broke Sramkova’s serve twice, swiftly securing the set and gaining the upper hand in the match.
The second set proved more challenging as Sramkova upped her game. Wei once again took the initiative, breaking serve in the third game to lead 3-1. However, the Slovakian fought back, breaking Wei in the sixth game to even the score at 3-3. Undeterred, Wei secured another crucial break in the seventh game and held her serve in the eighth to regain the lead. Despite Sramkova taking the ninth game to stay in contention, Wei maintained her focus and closed out the match by holding serve in the tenth game.
“I am thrilled with today’s performance,” Wei said after the match. “Playing in front of the home crowd gave me extra motivation, and I am excited to advance to the next round.”
In doubles action, Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai teamed up with Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic to defeat China’s Liu Leyi and Nima Zhuoma 6-0, 6-1. Zhang, 35, demonstrated her experience and skill, dominating the court alongside Siniakova.
Zhang, a two-time Guangzhou Open singles champion with titles in 2013 and 2017, is also set to compete in the singles event. She will face eighth-seeded Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia in the first round. “It’s always special to play in Guangzhou,” Zhang commented. “I have wonderful memories here, and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
The Guangzhou Open continues to captivate tennis enthusiasts and promises exciting matches as local talents make their mark on the international stage.
Reference(s):
Wei Sijia upsets No. 6 seed Rebecca Sramkova at Guangzhou Open
cgtn.com
