China’s Zhang Shuai, Yuan Yue, and Wang Xiyu made a strong start at the WTA Guangzhou Open on Tuesday, each securing a spot in the second round.
Zhang Shuai, a wildcard entrant currently ranked World No. 237, showcased her experience and skill by defeating Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova. The two-time champion at this event, having claimed titles in 2013 and 2017, overpowered Rakhimova 6-2, 6-1 in just 58 minutes. Next up for Zhang is a match against American Bernarda Pera.
Third seed Yuan Yue, the World No. 44 and the highest-ranked Chinese player in the tournament, also advanced with a confident performance. She overcame Belgium’s Greet Minnen 7-6, 6-1. Yuan will face Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the next round.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiyu continued her title-defense campaign by defeating Arantxa Rus in straight sets, improving her head-to-head record against the Dutch player to 3-2. The former junior World No. 1, who captured her maiden tour-level singles title last year after upsetting Magda Linette, will meet compatriot Wei Sijia in an all-Chinese second-round encounter.
Reference(s):
WTA Guangzhou Open: China's Zhang, Yuan, Wang reach 2nd round
cgtn.com
