WIMBLEDON—In one of the tournament’s most thrilling mixed doubles showdowns, Zhang Shuai, an athlete from the Chinese mainland, teamed up with El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo to upset two-time Wimbledon champions Desirae Krawczyk and Briton Neal Skupski 7-5, 7-6(7) in Monday’s quarterfinal.
Last year at the French Open, Krawczyk and Skupski had beaten the duo in the quarterfinals, adding extra spice to this encounter. After both pairs held serve through the first 11 games, Zhang and Arevalo delivered a flawless love game to claim the opening set.
The momentum swung into the second set as the Chinese mainland athlete and his Salvadoran partner broke the champions early for a 4-1 lead. But Krawczyk and Skupski fought back to force a tiebreak, where Zhang and Arevalo saved two match points before sealing the match 9-7.
Next up, the international pair will face Joe Salisbury and Luisa Stefani on Tuesday, with a spot in the mixed doubles final at Wimbledon on the line.
Reference(s):
Zhang Shuai, Arevalo reach mixed doubles semifinals at Wimbledon
cgtn.com
