The first victory is here! The rumored girlfriend witnesses Huang Zelin making history, while Shang Juncheng's injury withdrawal casts doubt on China's season.

Following the losses of Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu, Wang Yafan, and Zhu Lin on the US Open's opening day, Yuan Yue and Shang Juncheng joined forces with Hong Kong's Huang Zelin to keep fighting, and this time they achieved success!

Yuan Yue challenged Samsonova, Shang Juncheng faced Bellucci, and Huang Zelin competed against Kovacevic; the prospects for these three Chinese players to advance were just as bleak as those for the four Chinese women on the first day.

As the fifth player tasked with securing a winning start for the Chinese tennis team, considering the skill gap between Yuan Yue and Samsonova, everyone hoped before the match that Yuan Yue would play freely without too much mental burden; even if she lost, it wouldn't matter as long as she performed at her usual level.

Before the match, bookmakers set Yuan Yue's odds at 4.33 to 1, compared to Samsonova’s 1.22 to 1, which fans and netizens saw as a sign of disrespect, believing it was impossible to unsettle the Russian star and predicting a high chance Yuan Yue would lose in straight sets.

However, Yuan Yue refused to let the predictions dictate her fate, delivering a swift 6-2 first set win over Samsonova, surprising everyone and earning their respect.

Unfortunately, Yuan Yue’s brilliant performance faded like a tide after the first set. Once Samsonova regained her composure, she no longer gave Yuan Yue a chance to continue her heroic display, overturning the match with two 6-4 sets to crush Yuan Yue’s hopes of an upset.

After the match, the warm applause Yuan Yue received immediately was because, despite being heavily underestimated before the game, she managed to push Samsonova to a full three-set battle, far exceeding everyone’s expectations. No one had expected her to win, so the surprise of a competitive fight was a bonus, and Yuan Yue’s effort deserved strong praise.

After Yuan Yue's exit, expectations for Huang Zelin facing American Kovacevic were initially low. Yet, some in the live chat mentioned that his rumored girlfriend, Iera, came to cheer him on, hinting there might be a surprise: "Maybe China's first win will come from Huang."

The optimism for Huang Zelin was not only because of his rumored girlfriend’s live support but also related to his earlier victory over Shelton in Miami this year.

Huang Zelin proved himself, carrying the strong form from the qualifiers into his US Open main draw debut. After taking the first set 6-4, the Hong Kong player grew stronger as the match went on.

Especially after winning the second set 6-4 and standing just one step from victory, Huang, 21, withstood Kovacevic’s fierce comeback in the third set and clinched the match in a tiebreak, advancing to the US Open second round and finally delivering China’s opening win at the tournament.

After the win, Huang Zelin was ecstatic, celebrating by rolling excitedly on the ground.

It’s worth noting that Huang’s victory at the US Open main draw is not only a major personal career breakthrough but also marks the first time a Hong Kong player has won a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open Era, creating a new milestone for Hong Kong tennis!

After the match, fans joked in the live chat that it was a pity they didn’t witness a public kiss or passionate embrace between Huang and Iera to confirm their romance—now that this "couple" both advanced together in the US Open main draw, it’s a lovely story in the tennis world.

With Huang advancing, many believed this inspiring victory might boost Shang Juncheng’s morale, potentially bringing a double success for Chinese tennis on the US Open’s second day.

Unexpectedly, during his match against Bellucci, Shang Juncheng retired midway through the fourth set at 0-3 due to injury, which surprised everyone.

Shang Juncheng has long been regarded as the most talented Chinese male player born after 2000, and there were high hopes for his US Open appearance. It was unfortunate that, shortly after recovering from injury, he got hurt again at the US Open, casting a shadow over his upcoming Chinese season.

Looking back at the match against Kovacevic, although Shang was trailing 1-2 in sets, his form and fighting spirit were good. Without the injury forcing his mid-match retirement, it’s hard to say whether Kovacevic would have won.

Sadly, fate has been cruel to Shang Juncheng—blessed with exceptional tennis talent but not a strong body. Retiring before the match ended caused him to miss the chance to challenge Alcaraz and gain further experience in major tournaments.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)