The Australian Open's Chinese main draw team is set with eight players; among the four women, Wang Xinyu is the luckiest, while the men's F4 must rely on themselves.

With the completion of the final qualifying round at the Australian Open, the Chinese team for the main draw is now confirmed, featuring four women and four men, presenting a strong presence and a hopeful sign.

Nine Chinese players participated in the qualifying rounds for the main draw at this Australian Open, with Wu Yibing, Yuan Yue, and Bai Zhuoxuan emerging victorious and advancing into the main event.

When reviewing these three players, many openly express that each of their performances has deeply moved fans and netizens alike.

Yuan Yue's path to the final qualifying round was like running a marathon; after a grueling 3-hour and 3-minute battle to narrowly advance, many worried whether she could still hold her racket in the last round due to the heavy toll. Fortunately, Yuan Yue, now toughened into a marathon runner on the tour, performed well and comfortably defeated Zidansek 6-3, 6-1 to secure her spot in the main draw.

Bai Zhuoxuan's entry into the main draw was the biggest surprise; after losing the first set 4-6, fans and netizens doubted her chances of a comeback, but unexpectedly, she dominated the next two sets 6-4, 6-1 to overturn Vidmanova and became one of the three qualifiers advancing to the main event.

Everyone was also pleased with Wu Yibing’s straight-set victory; it was initially feared that an injury sustained during the second round against Mejia might affect his Australian Open campaign, but his performance securing main draw entry proved those concerns unfounded.

With Yuan Yue, Bai Zhuoxuan, and Wu Yibing advancing, combined with five others who had already secured main draw spots, the Chinese team of eight players for this Australian Open is officially formed. The women’s singles includes Wang Xinyu, Zhang Shuai, Yuan Yue, and Bai Zhuoxuan; the men’s singles feature Zhang Zhizhen, Shang Juncheng, Bu Yunchaokete, and Wu Yibing. This lineup has been playfully dubbed the “Lucky Eight Immortals” by some fans and netizens.

Although the number eight is considered very auspicious, after the draw was made, luck seemed to oppose most Chinese players, as many drew tough matches.

Yuan Yue is regarded as having the worst draw among the Chinese female players; after a hard-fought journey to qualify, she drew second seed Swiatek in the first round, which fans and netizens see as a very unlucky pairing, making it extremely difficult to advance.

However, some comfort Yuan Yue by noting that although on paper it looks like she might face an early exit, Swiatek’s recent performances in the United Cup suggest the Polish star might not be in peak form. If Yuan Yue gives it her all, there might be a chance for an upset, potentially the biggest shock in the women’s singles since the tournament began.

Bai Zhuoxuan’s first-round opponent, Aleksandrova, is also seen as a tough draw, and fans’ main hope is simply that Bai performs to her usual level and keeps the scoreline respectable, which would be considered a success.

Zhang Shuai faces Australian wildcard Preston in the first round. While her draw is not as daunting as Yuan Yue’s or Bai Zhuoxuan’s, considering Preston’s upset of top seed Raducanu in Hobart to reach the semifinals, this match still represents a significant challenge requiring careful preparation.

Among the four top Chinese women, Wang Xinyu is considered the luckiest because her first-round opponent is qualifier Karolina Kalinina.

Kalinina is currently ranked 178th in the world, so as long as Wang maintains her level, passing the first round should not be an issue. However, if she meets potential second-round opponent Ostapenko, the Chinese number two will likely have to fight hard to advance.

Compared to the mixed luck in the women’s singles draw, the Chinese men’s singles draws at this Australian Open are viewed quite poorly by fans and netizens, who immediately expressed “pray for luck” regarding the men’s F4 draws.

As China’s current top male player, seeing Bu Yunchaokete face Shapovalov in the first round led some netizens to lament that Bu’s first Grand Slam main draw win will likely still be delayed.

Shang Juncheng drew 37-year-old Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Although Shang has the ability to compete with the veteran, many believe there is significant uncertainty about whether the young Chinese player can advance, especially considering the potential second-round opponent Brandon Nakashima, which further raises the challenge for Shang to achieve a good result at the Australian Open.

Zhang Zhizhen drew Cerundolo; although Zhang leads their head-to-head 2-1, his recent performance in the United Cup suggests that overcoming this match will not be easy.

Wu Yibing faces Italy’s Nardi in the first round, which is also considered a very tough match. For Wu to advance, he will need to fight hard and perhaps rely on some good fortune.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Sky)