On the day of the Australian Open Women's Singles final, China's Zheng Qinwen battled with Belarus's Sabalenka, and although Zheng Qinwen failed to defeat her opponent and lost 0-2 (3-6, 2-6), her performance not only marked a historic breakthrough in her career, but also injected new energy into Chinese tennis.
In this match, Zheng Qinwen ushered in the first Grand Slam runner-up of her career, becoming the second Chinese player after Li Na to reach the Grand Slam singles final. This achievement not only adds to her personal glory, but also continues the glorious tradition of Chinese players at the Australian Open. Looking back at the historic moment when Li Na won the Women's Singles crown in 2014, Zheng Qinwen became the successor to carry on this tradition, showing the strength of the younger generation.
However, it will not be easy to face a formidable opponent in the final, Sabalenka. The two faced each other in the quarterfinals of last year's US Open, when Zheng Qinwen lost 1-6 and 4-6. The official big data prediction before the match showed that Sabalenka's probability of winning was as high as 81%, indicating that Zheng Qinwen faces a huge challenge.
In the first set, Sabalenka broke early, while Zheng wasted three break points in a row in the third game, leaving her in a passive position. Although Zheng Qinwen adjusted his form, he was unable to prevent his opponent from taking the first set first. At the beginning of the second set, Zheng Qinwen was broken at one point, but in the eighth game, she showed excellent fighting spirit and successfully saved four match points, but unfortunately failed to reverse the situation.
Despite failing to win the title, Zheng Qinwen secured 1,300 points and $1.725 million in prize money. In the updated ranking on the 29th, she will rise to the 7th position in the world, becoming the second Chinese player to reach this ranking after Li Na. This is not only a recognition of her personal strength, but also a re-verification of the level of Chinese women's tennis.
However, in the post-match interview, we saw Zheng Qinwen's tearful eyes. At the press conference two hours later, she tied her hair and went from smiling to speaking in a nasal voice, expressing her appreciation for Sabalenka's strong serve, while admitting that she was still lacking in returning. She said: "I'm a little sorry for the fans who cheered for me, I didn't win a Grand Slam and didn't live up to my expectations, and it's an honor for me to be able to encourage more people to pay attention to tennis." Zheng Qinwen said that she will discuss with the team in the follow-up matches and continue to work hard for the tennis career.
Back at the 2019 China Open, Sabalenka also cried on the outfield at the time, when she was only 21 years old. And now, the 21-year-old Zheng Qinwen has become the runner-up of the Grand Slam, which is really incredible. Zheng Qinwen's journey to the Australian Open may not have won the title, but her tenacious performance has become a bright spot in Chinese tennis.