China’s Zhang Shuai and France’s Kristina Mladenovic have bowed out of the Australian Open women’s doubles after a valiant effort in the quarterfinals. The duo faced the top-seeded team of Taylor Townsend from the United States and Katerina Siniakova from the Czech Republic, ultimately losing 6-1, 7-5 in a match that lasted 70 minutes at Melbourne Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Zhang, who competed in three events at this year’s first Grand Slam, reached the second round in women’s singles and advanced to the quarterfinals in both women’s doubles with Mladenovic and mixed doubles alongside India’s Rohan Bopanna.
In the match against Townsend and Siniakova, Zhang and Mladenovic struggled in the first set, which they dropped in under 30 minutes. However, they mounted a spirited comeback in the second set. Trailing 5-2, they saved two match points and rallied to level the score at 5-5, showcasing their determination against the reigning Wimbledon champions.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure,” Siniakova admitted after the match. “We made mistakes, and suddenly it was close. But we kept fighting, and I’m really happy that we managed to finish it.”
Despite their efforts, Zhang and Mladenovic couldn’t force a tiebreak. Serving at 6-5, Mladenovic faced a third match point and was unable to hold off Townsend and Siniakova, who sealed their spot in the semifinals.
Statistically, the top-seeded pair dominated with 25 winners compared to 13 from Zhang and Mladenovic. Both teams recorded 14 unforced errors, highlighting the high level of play throughout the match.
Townsend and Siniakova will advance to face Russia’s Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider in the semifinals.
Reference(s):
Zhang/Mladenovic fall in Australian Open women's doubles quarterfinals
cgtn.com
