In one of the most surprising results of the women's doubles draw at the French Open, the pairing of China's Guo Hanyu and France's Kristina Mladenovic delivered a commanding performance this past Monday. The duo stunned the third seeds, Zhang Shuai of China and Elise Mertens of Belgium, with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory to secure their place in the quarterfinals in Paris.
This victory represents a significant milestone for 28-year-old Guo Hanyu, marking the first time in her professional career that she has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event. Furthermore, it is the first time that Guo and Mladenovic have advanced to the final eight of a major tournament as partners, signaling a strong synergy between the two athletes.
The 13th-seeded pair entered the tournament with considerable momentum. Following their triumph at the ASB Classic in Auckland in January and a strong third-round showing at the Australian Open, their confidence had been steadily building. In contrast, Zhang and Mertens had entered the match as heavy favorites, having captured the women's doubles title at the Australian Open earlier this year.
From the outset on Court Simonne Mathieu, Guo and Mladenovic maintained control of the match. A powerful forehand from Mladenovic proved pivotal, helping the pair secure a critical break to lead 4-2 in the opening set. They maintained this pressure throughout the match, closing out the first set 6-2 and eventually sealing the win in the second set when Zhang sent a forehand wide.
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Guo, Mladenovic stun Zhang, Mertens to reach French Open quarterfinals
cgtn.com
