Chinese women’s tennis players faced an unexpected downturn at the Australian Open, with notable exits in the second round. The Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen was among those who couldn’t advance, losing to German veteran Laura Siegemund in a surprising upset with scores of 7-6, 6-3.
Wang Xiyu came closest to a breakthrough, taking a set off American Emma Navarro before ultimately falling 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at Margaret Court Arena. Despite a strong start in the second set, Wang couldn’t maintain her momentum as Navarro secured the victory after a tightly contested final set.
Earlier matches saw Zhang Shuai and Wang Yafan also exit the tournament, defeated by Yulia Putintseva and Daria Kasatkina with scores of 6-2, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-0 respectively. These results marked a challenging opening for Chinese players, as they have been eliminated from all singles contention in Melbourne, totaling eight exits in the women’s and three in the men’s categories.
The early departures of these athletes highlight the competitive nature of the tournament and set the stage for an intense competition ahead.
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Chinese players fall short in women's singles at Australian Open
cgtn.com
