Zhang Shuai remains the last Chinese female player standing: I've had enough of setback education!

Born in 1989, veteran Chinese star Zhang Shuai is now 36 years old. While this age might be considered retirement time in today’s tennis world, Zhang continues to shine brightly. Especially during this year's Chinese season, her performance at every tournament has been noteworthy. After entering the WTA250 Guangzhou event, she has already won two consecutive matches, becoming the furthest-advancing Chinese player in the women’s singles draw.

Actually, Zhang’s two victories in Guangzhou were far from easy. Particularly in the recently concluded second round against Eliawetz, she lost the first set 3-6 but managed to regain her form and rhythm in the next two sets, ultimately winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance.

The entire match lasted 1 hour and 38 minutes. With this win, Zhang reached the quarterfinals of a tour-level singles event for the first time this season. So far, she has been the furthest-advancing Chinese singles player in Beijing (China Open), Wuhan, and Guangzhou.

After earning 54 ranking points and $6,815 in prize money, Zhang's current ranking has risen to 116. She had previously stated that she would focus on singles in the upcoming tournaments to improve her ranking, and she is now progressing positively in that direction.

It is worth noting that during this match, Zhang had several intense disputes with the chair umpire over suspected line-calling errors. At one point, she even told her coach she wanted to retire from the match. Despite being a long-established event, the Guangzhou Open still does not use Hawk-Eye technology, making the accuracy of human line judges especially crucial.

“I’ve played tennis for 31 years and know better than anyone whether a ball is out. For Chinese tennis to improve, every role must enhance their professional skills.”

At the same time, Zhang expressed meaningful thoughts about some fans’ behavior: “Players face enormous pressure on court; a single mistake can ruin the entire match. I hope fans can offer more encouragement and less criticism. Young players don’t need endless setback education.”

According to the tournament draw, Zhang is expected to face American player Worenets around 7 PM Beijing time tonight. Worenets started from the qualifiers and is currently in great form, but Zhang is still favored to advance. The other three quarterfinal matches are as follows:

[Q] Sun Lulu vs. McNally

[Q] Liu Jingwen vs. Seidel

Kocharetto vs. [2] Ann Li

With higher-ranked players like Bouchard, Parks, Putintseva, Aiyla, Maria, and Jones already eliminated, the women’s singles competition at the Guangzhou Open is becoming more open. Do you think Zhang Shuai has a chance to claim her third title at this event?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)