Asia's top female player unexpectedly faltered, with Wang Xinyu and Iela holding up the reputation of Asian women's tennis as they prepare for a decisive showdown.

Following the semifinal encounter between China’s Wang Xinyu and the Filipino Iela in Auckland, fans have expressed that this partly compensates for Lebakina’s departure in Brisbane, keeping Asian women’s tennis prominent in the new tour season.

When Lebakina defeated the hardworking Chinese player Zhang Shuai in the second round in Brisbane, there were concerns about whether the Asian top player’s foot injury might worsen during that intense match and affect her progress in Brisbane.

It was only after Lebakina easily swept Spain’s Badosa in straight sets in the third round that those worries were alleviated.

Therefore, when Lebakina faced the Czech player Muchova in the quarterfinals, many were optimistic about the Asian top player’s chances, believing she had a strong shot at extending her cross-season winning streak to 14 matches.

Even though Muchova took the first set 6-2, the support for Lebakina did not diminish. Especially after the Asian top player returned the favor by winning the second set 6-2, the anticipation of a powerful comeback for Lebakina reached a fever pitch.

Lebakina seemed to meet her supporters’ expectations at the start of the deciding set, quickly gaining a 2-0 lead with a clear advantage. Unexpectedly, her performance declined thereafter, allowing Muchova to catch up. After the score was tied 4-4 in the first eight games, the surprising moment came: at the crucial point when Lebakina needed to prove herself, she suddenly faltered and lost two consecutive games, letting the Czech player close out the match.

With Lebakina’s exit, not only was the biggest upset of the tour announced by Muchova’s victory over Asia’s top player, but the highly anticipated semifinal “Double Czech Battle” was also canceled prematurely.

Additionally, after a tough three-set loss to the Czech player, Lebakina’s cross-season winning streak ended abruptly at 13 matches, failing to extend this remarkable personal record.

After the match, discussions about this high-profile battle included opinions that Lebakina had seemed to be improving steadily in Brisbane and was likely to become the best-performing Asian female player on the tour this season, making her unexpected defeat all the more frustrating.

Looking back at Lebakina’s match against Muchova, some fans believe the Asian top player’s loss was not undeserved. Although Lebakina hit 31 winners, 11 more than Muchova’s 20, her 46 unforced errors were double the Czech player’s 23. This statistical imbalance essentially negated her advantage in winners, allowing Muchova to upset the world No. 5 and create the biggest surprise of the new tour season.

Despite Lebakina’s fall amid widespread expectations, the banner of Asian women’s tennis still flies high, just shifting its spotlight from Brisbane to Auckland.

China’s second-ranked Wang Xinyu and Southeast Asia’s top player Iela both advanced to the Auckland semifinals, reigniting excitement among fans and netizens as the two Asian players jointly uphold the prestige of Asian women’s tennis.

The only regret is that Wang Xinyu and Iela will face each other across the net in the Auckland 250 semifinal, forced into a fierce battle for a spot in the final, making the scene somewhat harsh.

From the current public discussion around this key match, Wang Xinyu is clearly the underdog, which is also reflected in the betting odds: China’s second-ranked player is at 2.1, while Iela is favored at 1.73.

Wang Xinyu’s underdog status likely stems from her less smooth path to the semifinals compared to Iela. For example, in the quarterfinals, Wang faced tough competition against British player Jones and only advanced after her opponent retired; whereas Iela cruised through her match against Linette, conceding only five games overall.

The noticeable difference in their current form has shifted the odds toward Iela, making Wang Xinyu a focal point of concern among Chinese fans and netizens, who worry she might be stopped at the semifinal stage for the ninth time while chasing her first career title.

This pivotal match is scheduled to start around 12:30 PM Beijing time on January 10th, and whether Wang Xinyu can take a step closer to her maiden professional title is definitely worth watching!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)