China’s tennis hopes at the Italian Open were dashed early as both Wang Xinyu and Buyunchaokete faced defeats in their opening matches in Rome on Wednesday.
Wang Xinyu Falls to Kamilla Rakhimova
Wang Xinyu, who was initially slated to play former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, found herself up against Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova after Vondrousova withdrew due to a shoulder injury. Despite a previous victory over Rakhimova in January at the Adelaide International qualifiers, Wang couldn’t replicate her success this time.
In a match lasting one hour and 32 minutes, Wang struggled to find her rhythm. The first set saw both players exchange breaks early, leveling at 2-2. However, Rakhimova surged ahead, taking the set 6-3. The second set mirrored the first with an early exchange of breaks, but Wang was unable to halt Rakhimova’s momentum, ultimately losing 6-2.
Rakhimova advances to face 10th-seeded Emma Navarro of the USA in the second round.
Buyunchaokete Exits After Shoulder Strain
On the men’s side, Buyunchaokete faced Italy’s Luciano Darderi. In their first-ever meeting, the players held serve throughout the opening set, leading to a tense tiebreaker. Buyunchaokete gained an early advantage, leading 4-2, but a series of errors turned the tide, and Darderi claimed the tiebreak 7-4.
The second set began with Darderi breaking Buyunchaokete’s serve. The Chinese player, experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder, called for a medical timeout after the third game. Despite fighting back and pushing games to deuce, Buyunchaokete couldn’t overturn the deficit, falling 6-3.
Darderi moves on to face fifth-seeded Jack Draper of Britain in the next round.
The early exits mark a disappointing start for China’s young tennis talents at the Italian Open, but their performances on the international stage continue to inspire fans back home.
