Chinese tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen, seeded fifth in the women’s singles, has landed in the same bracket as reigning champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the upcoming Australian Open. If both athletes advance through the rounds, fans could witness an exciting quarterfinal clash between the two powerhouses.
Zheng’s first-round opponent is yet to be confirmed, as she awaits the outcome of the qualifiers to face either a qualifier or a lucky loser. Sabalenka, on the other hand, is set to face the United States’ Sloane Stephens, ranked world No. 84, in her opening match.
Other thrilling first-round encounters include an all-American battle between No. 3 seed Coco Gauff and seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula. In a rematch of the 2024 French Open quarterfinals, Kazakhstan’s No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina will take on Italy’s No. 4 seed Jasmine Paolini. Additionally, eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro is set for a challenging match against Poland’s No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek, hoping to avenge a previous defeat.
Joining Zheng Qinwen, six other women from the Chinese mainland have qualified for the main draw. Wang Xinyu faces a tough opener against No. 11 seed Paula Badosa of Spain. Yuan Yue will challenge the 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, while Wang Yafan, leading 1-0 in their head-to-head, takes on Hungary’s Anna Bondar. Wang Xiyu is set to play Julia Grabher of Austria, veteran Zhang Shuai meets McCartney Kessler of the U.S., and Zheng Saisai lines up against Russia’s Erika Andreeva.
In the men’s singles, world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner of Italy finds himself in the same section as local favorite and No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur. The potential quarterfinals could see fourth-seeded American Taylor Fritz face off against Russia’s fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
Serbian star Novak Djokovic, seeded seventh, may encounter his first major test in the quarterfinals against Spain’s No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz as he pursues his 25th Grand Slam title. Germany’s second seed Alexander Zverev might also square off against Norway’s No. 6 seed Casper Ruud in what promises to be a thrilling last-eight showdown.
Representing the Chinese mainland in the men’s singles are three talented players. Zhang Zhizhen is set to compete against No. 13 seed Holger Rune of Denmark. Shang Juncheng faces Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while Bu Yunchaokete awaits his first-round opponent, pending the results of the qualifying rounds.
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Zheng Qinwen in same bracket as Aryna Sabalenka at Australian Open
cgtn.com
