Chinese players made a significant impact on the first round of the Australian Open, with female athletes advancing impressively while their male counterparts faced early eliminations.
Wang Xiyu showcased resilience and skill as she battled through a challenging second set to defeat Austria’s Julia Grabher 6-1, 7-5 on Tuesday. Playing at Rod Laver Arena, Wang secured her first win there in three years. After a disappointing first-round exit last month at the ASB Classic in Auckland against former champion Sofia Kenin, Wang quickly found her rhythm against Grabher, taking seven consecutive games.
Despite experiencing two breaks of serve in the second set, the 23-year-old held her nerve to sweep to victory. Wang is set to face the USA’s Emma Navarro in the next round, aiming to continue her strong performance.
Another standout was Wang Yafan, who delivered an impressive comeback to defeat Hungary’s Anna Bondar 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. After missing a crucial break point in the first set, Wang rallied by breaking her opponent in the second set and maintained momentum to clinch the match. This victory marks her progression to the second round of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year. She will next face Russian ninth seed Daria Kasatkina for a place in the last 32.
In contrast, Yuan Yue fell short in a thrilling three-set battle against 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Despite a strong effort, Yuan was defeated 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, ending her run in the tournament.
On the men’s side, challenges persisted for the Chinese contingent. Zhang Zhizhen, China’s top-ranked male player, engaged in a grueling five-set match against 13th seed Holger Rune. Zhang displayed remarkable tenacity but ultimately fell 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Zhang had previously shown resilience against top-five players Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz at the United Cup but has yet to secure a victory in such high-stakes matches.
Meanwhile, Shang Juncheng was forced to withdraw due to injury during his match against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. With these results, all of China’s male players have been eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open.
Reference(s):
Australian Open: Chinese women excel but men suffer early eliminations
cgtn.com
