Chinese tennis veteran Zhang Shuai has secured her spot in the 2025 Australian Open after a thrilling victory over compatriot Guo Hanyu in the Asia-Pacific Wildcard playoff final held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
In a nail-biting match that lasted over two hours, Zhang triumphed with a score of 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-5. Despite dropping the second set without winning a game, the experienced player rallied in the final set to clinch the win.
“Guo Hanyu has great baseline skills and a much higher tennis IQ than any player of my generation,” Zhang praised her opponent after the match. “Her serves and returns are both excellent. So, though I won today, I call it a lucky victory. I only beat her by one or two points at the end of the contest.”
The victory marks Zhang’s 13th appearance at the Australian Open. Her previous best performances at the tournament include reaching the singles quarterfinals in 2016 and winning the women’s doubles title with partner Samantha Stosur in 2019.
Zhang missed the Australian Open and the French Open this year but is eager to make a strong comeback. She previously played at the Australian Open as the No. 23 seed, reaching the round of 16 before falling to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.
With this win, Zhang hopes to regain her top form. Tennis fans across the Global South will be eagerly watching her performance in Melbourne next year.
Reference(s):
China's veteran Zhang Shuai makes it back to Australian Open
cgtn.com
