Wang Xinyu started strong but then faced two major setbacks, while Zhang Shuai’s 37th birthday gift was taken away prematurely.

The pre-match expectation of two Chinese wins turned into one win and one loss, leaving fans both happy and disappointed over Wang Xinyu’s and Zhang Shuai’s contrasting first-round outcomes at the Australian Open.

Right after the draw was announced, Wang Xinyu’s matchup against Ukrainian Kalinina made her appear as the most fortunate among the Chinese contingent. Bookmakers offered odds of 1.67 for Wang, beating Kalinina’s 2.2, which many fans felt matched their expectations.

Although Wang Xinyu lost in the second round of the Hobart 250 tournament to Linette, many believed this defeat wouldn’t affect her chances of passing the Australian Open first round, as she was exhausted then but had the strong form of an Auckland finalist backing her, making victory over Kalinina very likely.

From their performance in the first set, Kalinina showed she was no pushover, but Wang Xinyu demonstrated stronger skills. This was evident when Wang, trailing 2-3, suddenly surged ahead by winning four consecutive games to take the set 6-3, proving her superiority.

Seeing Wang Xinyu win the first set comfortably in just 39 minutes, many fans boldly predicted Kalinina was overwhelmed by Wang’s aggressive play. They expected the real intense battle to begin from the second set after Kalinina regrouped during the break.

The fans and netizens proved to have sharp insight! After quickly shaking off the shock of losing the first set so fast, Kalinina started the second set impressively, gaining a 2-1 lead through a sequence of holds and breaks, seizing control of the match.

However, Wang Xinyu did not back down. Showing the strong form she had in Auckland, she patiently battled Kalinina, eventually equalizing the score and then taking the lead at 5-3. She closed the set 6-3, sweeping Kalinina in straight sets and reaching the Australian Open round of 64 for the first time in three years.

This victory not only justified the bookmakers’ confidence in Wang but also boosted her current world ranking to 42, bringing her closer to breaking back into the top 40.

Yet shortly after her win, two pieces of unfavorable news emerged for Wang Xinyu.

In a post-match interview, Wang revealed that her left elbow was uncomfortable, implying she played against Kalinina while carrying an injury.

Once this news was publicized, concerns grew about Wang’s chances in the second round. It would be a real pity if her momentum, finally regained after three years by passing the first round, was halted by injury.

The second piece of bad news was related to Wang’s confirmed second-round opponent: China’s No. 2 will face former French Open finalist Ostapenko.

Although Ostapenko is known for her unpredictable play, Wang’s elbow injury raises worries about whether she can withstand Ostapenko’s powerful game.

Zhang Shuai’s draw wasn’t as favorable as Wang’s, but many believed she had a good chance to advance because she had recently defeated her first-round opponent Preston in the Brisbane qualifiers. Bookmakers also favored Zhang, offering odds of 1.44 against Preston’s 2.75, suggesting that although the match wouldn’t be easy, Zhang was likely to win.

Moreover, some pointed out that January 21 was Zhang Shuai’s 37th birthday, and it was believed she would want to gift herself a victory, which boosted confidence in her. Fans eagerly anticipated Zhang celebrating her birthday with a strong opening win at the Australian Open.

However, the highly favored Zhang ran into trouble early, quickly losing the first set 3-6.

Although Zhang fought back strongly to take the second set 6-2, many expected her to maintain that momentum into the deciding set and complete the comeback. Unfortunately, in the crucial final set, Zhang’s stamina faltered at a key moment.

Preston seized this golden opportunity and closed out the match 6-3 in the decider, prematurely ending what many hoped would be Zhang’s 37th birthday victory gift.

Though Zhang Shuai missed the chance to celebrate her upcoming 37th birthday with a singles win, many now look forward to her doubles performance. Teaming up with doubles specialist Mertens, if they gel well, their chances of winning the doubles title look very promising.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Sky)