China’s rising tennis star Wei Sijia is just one win away from securing a spot in the women’s singles main draw at the Australian Open. On Wednesday, the world No. 119 showcased her talent by defeating Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the qualifying tournament.
The 21-year-old Wei dominated the match, winning 63% of her service points and firing 20 winners—double that of her opponent. Her victory sets up a decisive final qualifying round against Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic, ranked world No. 237, on Thursday. A win would mark Wei’s first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw.
“I’m thrilled with my performance today,” Wei said after the match. “I’m staying focused and ready for the next challenge.”
This marks the second consecutive year that Wei has reached the third qualifying round at the Australian Open, after narrowly missing out on the main draw last year.
Meanwhile, fellow Chinese player Gao Xinyu faced a tough battle against Croatia’s Petra Martic. Despite leading 2-0 in the final set, Gao couldn’t hold onto the advantage, eventually falling 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 after a grueling two-hour and 38-minute match.
Martic, seeded 16th in the qualifiers, rallied to break Gao’s serve twice in the final set to clinch the victory. Gao, who recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 146, expressed disappointment but remains optimistic about her future tournaments.
The performances of China’s young talents like Wei and Gao signal a promising future for Chinese tennis on the international stage.
Reference(s):
China's Wei Sijia reaches final round of Australian Open qualifying
cgtn.com
