China’s Zheng Saisai and Wang Xinyu delivered an impressive performance at the Australian Open, defeating the 11th-seeded duo of Veronika Kudermetova from Russia and Ena Shibahara from Japan. The Chinese pair secured a straight-sets victory, 6-1, 7-5, in just under an hour and a half in the second round of the women’s doubles on Sunday.
From the outset, Zheng and Wang dominated the match, swiftly taking control by winning consecutive games to clinch the first set in just 30 minutes. They showcased exceptional teamwork and strategy, dropping only four points on serve and claiming 28 points compared to their opponents’ 15 in the opening set.
The 11th seeds fought back in the second set, taking the first three games and challenging the Chinese duo with an intense 11-minute third game that extended to deuce five times. However, Zheng and Wang remained composed. A solid service game from Zheng put them on the scoreboard at 3-1. They then broke Kudermetova’s serve to love and held a tricky service game from Wang to level the set at 3-3.
Facing two set points while trailing 5-4, Wang held her nerve on serve, and the Chinese pair saved both points to keep the set alive. In a pivotal moment, Zheng and Wang broke Shibahara’s serve to take a 6-5 lead. They needed only one match point in the following game to seal the victory and secure their place in the round of 16.
“We got off to a good start in this match, which was quite a surprise for us,” Wang Xinyu said after the match. “In our previous matches, we struggled a little before getting smoother. The second set was tight as we were broken first, but we did not panic. We focused on our planned strategy and played calmly with decisive action.”
The victory marks a significant achievement for Zheng and Wang as they continue their pursuit of success at the Grand Slam tournament.
Reference(s):
China's Zheng/Wang beat women's doubles 11th seeds at Australian Open
cgtn.com
