Zhang Shuai of China and Kristina Mladenovic of France saw their journey at the Australian Open come to an end in the women's doubles quarterfinals. The duo fell to the top-seeded pair of Taylor Townsend from the USA and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic with a scoreline of 6-1, 7-5 in a tightly contested 70-minute match at Melbourne Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Competing in three events during this season's first Grand Slam, Zhang showcased her versatility by reaching the second round in women's singles, the quarterfinals in women's doubles with Mladenovic, and the last eight in mixed doubles alongside Rohan Bopanna of India.
The first set saw Zhang and Mladenovic struggle early on, ultimately losing 6-1 in under half an hour. However, the second set told a different story as the pair mounted a spirited comeback. They battled back from 5-2 down and managed to save two match points, demonstrating their resilience and determination against the reigning Wimbledon champions.
\"There was definitely a lot of pressure,\" Siniakova commented on the intense fightback. \"We made mistakes, and suddenly it was close, but we were the ones who had the set up, so we were still trying to fight, and I'm really happy that we managed to finish it.\"
The match intensified as Townsend and Siniakova extended their lead in the opening set by winning five consecutive games after the score was tied at 1-1. In the second set, the top seeds initially appeared poised to secure an easy victory, breaking Mladenovic's serve early to take a 3-1 advantage.
At 5-3, Townsend served for the match, but Zhang had three break points with a forehand winner down the line, converting the first when Townsend's volley sailed wide. With the set level at 5-5, Zhang saved two match points to keep the contest alive. However, trailing 6-5, Mladenovic faced a crucial service game to force a tiebreak but couldn't save the third match point against Townsend and Siniakova.
Statistics highlighted the competitiveness of the match, with Townsend and Siniakova hitting 25 winners compared to Zhang and Mladenovic's 13. Both teams committed 14 unforced errors each, showcasing the high level of play from both sides.
Looking ahead, the top-seeded duo of Townsend and Siniakova will advance to the semifinals to face the Russian pair of Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider.
Reference(s):
Zhang/Mladenovic fall in Australian Open women's doubles quarterfinals
cgtn.com
