The U.S. Open stage is set for fresh talent from the Chinese mainland. On Thursday at Flushing Meadows, four players — Wei Sijia, Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu and Wu Yibing — battled through the second round of qualifying, moving one step closer to the main draw starting this Sunday.
Twenty-three-year-old World No. 189 Wei Sijia produced one of the day's standout comebacks. After dropping the first set 6-4 to Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz, Wei surged back with back-to-back 6-1 sets, sealing six straight games in the decider to level their head-to-head record and earn a clash with veteran Zhang Shuai.
Thirty-six-year-old Zhang relied on her experience to dispatch Darja Vidmanova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-0. Zhang turned the match around after an early break, hitting 20 winners in the opener and closing the second set without conceding a game.
Wang Xiyu kept her U.S. Open aspirations alive by overcoming Petra Martic of Croatia 7-5, 6-4. Wang saved four set points when trailing 5-2 in the first set, then maintained momentum to secure the win. She now faces Russia’s Alina Charaeva for a main-draw berth.
On the men’s side, Wu Yibing produced a composed 6-3, 6-3 victory over France’s Luca Van Assche. Wu broke early in both sets and held firm under pressure, setting up a final qualifying match against Switzerland’s Jerome Kym.
With four Chinese mainland players vying for main-draw spots, data shows a growing shift in Grand Slam qualifiers. Will this quartet make history at the U.S. Open? Global tennis fans are watching.
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Four Chinese tennis players progress toward main draw at U.S. Open
cgtn.com
