Zhang Shuai’s champion indicator law fails as Kalinskaya becomes the only player to beat the Chinese star without winning the title

Following Kalinskaya’s unexpected withdrawal from the Hong Kong 250 event, regretful reactions surfaced immediately—for both Kalinskaya and the 36-year-old Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai.

When Zhang Shuai faced Kalinskaya in the second round, fans and online viewers were reluctant to guarantee a certain victory for Zhang, but still believed it would be a fiercely competitive match.

No one expected that Zhang, who had performed like a miracle in the first round by defeating Eriyavets, would suddenly transform from a dominant force into a fragile “Lin Mei-mei” against Kalinskaya, losing all resistance and ultimately being swept away by the Russian beauty with two 6-1 sets, shocking the public opinion!

After Zhang Shuai disappeared from the Hong Kong singles court, talks quickly arose that Kalinskaya was poised to win this 250 tournament. Many believed that based on the events involving Zhang during this year’s Chinese season, one thing was clear: whoever beats her usually ends up winning the championship.

After Zhang Shuai lost to Anisimova at the China Open, the American girl went on to defeat Noskova in the final to claim her first 1000-level title; similarly, after losing to Gauff at the Wuhan Open, the young American’s performance grew stronger, eventually winning the Wuhan 1000 tournament and making up for missing out on defending her China Open crown.

Having lost to two American players consecutively in the two Chinese 1000-level tournaments, both of whom later lifted the championship trophy, some humorously dubbed Zhang Shuai the “champion indicator of the Chinese season,” claiming that whoever beats her will ultimately win the title, sparking widespread discussion.

Some argued this was mere coincidence since Anisimova and Gauff indeed had the capability to win titles, and it just happened that Zhang lost to them; others countered that once could be coincidence, but twice in a row was hard to accept as mere chance.

Both sides held firm opinions, leading to intense debate and drawing significant attention to Zhang Shuai’s journey at the Guangzhou Open.

Many openly stated that if someone at the Guangzhou Open managed to defeat Zhang and then win the championship, it would definitively confirm Zhang’s “champion indicator” theory.

Therefore, when Zhang Shuai retired trailing 2-5 in the first set against American Chinese player Jinnie Lee in the Guangzhou Open semifinals, some remarked, “Jinnie’s performance is crucial now.”

Seeing that Jinnie’s final opponent was the in-form New Zealand Chinese player Lulu Sun, and with both the public and betting odds favoring Sun, many declared that Zhang’s indicator law was about to fail, ending all controversy.

It was expected that Jinnie, who was underestimated before the match, would struggle to get past Lulu Sun, but the New Zealand player’s performance surprised everyone.

Though the first set was closely contested and lost in a tiebreak, Lulu Sun suddenly lost her resistance in the second set, allowing Jinnie Lee to seal the match 6-2 and become the new champion of the Guangzhou 250 tournament.

After Jinnie Lee’s victory, recalling her semifinal match against Zhang Shuai, Zhang’s champion indicator theory was firmly established, and no one regarded it as coincidence anymore.

However, at the Hong Kong 250 tournament, Kalinskaya, the Russian beauty backed by Zhang’s indicator law, disappointed many. Amid widespread expectations for her to win, she withdrew when trailing 1-3 in the second set against Canadian prodigy Mboko, causing Zhang’s Chinese season law to fail and making Kalinskaya the only player who beat Zhang without winning the title that season.

Kalinskaya’s withdrawal shattered Zhang’s champion indicator, leading many to feel sorry for the Chinese star, saying she saved her worst form for the Russian player, who failed to seize the chance to claim the title, calling it “a huge twist of fate playing a joke on Zhang.”

Now, many revisit the past, feeling regret both for Kalinskaya not allowing Zhang’s law to shine further during the Chinese season and for Zhang’s painful loss to the Russian beauty, which caused her double setback: missing the chance to enter the TOP 100 and losing the opportunity to secure early qualification for next year’s Australian Open main draw!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River Starry Sky)