WTCC Day Two: Singles Wins for Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen, Mixed Doubles Defeat, Rublev Comes Back Against Vacherot

On December 27, 2025, the World Tennis Continental Cup (WTCC) held stages S2 and S3. With the weekend atmosphere, the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre shone brightly amid constant applause, featuring elite tennis players from Europe and the World teams, who jointly presented three peak singles battles and one captivating mixed doubles match, pushing the WTCC competition’s excitement to unprecedented heights.

Stage S2: Zhang Zhizhen and Wang Xinyu Make a Strong Start, Team World Takes a 4-2 Lead Over Team Europe

The first match of stage S2 was contested between China’s top male player Zhang Zhizhen and Italy’s rising star Cobolli. The two had met three times before, with Zhang leading 2-1. The opening set was fiercely competitive, going to a tiebreak where Zhang edged out with steadier play; in the second set, he maintained control and secured a break to close the match 7-6(5), 6-3, giving Team World their first victory.

After the match, Zhang Zhizhen praised the WTCC format: “This competition suits me well. Playing two sets plus a match tiebreak keeps matches from becoming too long. It’s concise and efficient, which is better for us. Playing three matches in two days is tough, so winning the first one feels great.”

In the second match, Shenzhen’s Wang Xinyu, who narrowly lost in stage S1, returned to face former world No.1 Swiatek. Wang continued her excellent form; against her powerful baseline attacks, Swiatek struggled to respond, and Wang won convincingly 6-2, 6-3.

Wang Xinyu said in an interview that she was very happy to compete at home against so many top players. She added that she introduced many variations in today’s match, praised the great atmosphere in Shenzhen, and hoped fans would continue to come support players in the upcoming stages.

After stage S2, Wang Xinyu and Swiatek teamed up with Chinese wheelchair tennis players Wang Ziying and Zhu Zhenzhen for a heartwarming “match tiebreak battle.” Ultimately, Swiatek and Zhu won 10-2. Afterward, WTCC founder Liu Fei presented exquisite gifts to all four players!

Stage S3: Saving Match Points and Mixed Doubles Tiebreak, Team World Maintains a 6-4 Lead

The first men’s singles match of stage S3 was full of twists. Team World’s Rublev, trailing 2-6, 2-4, fought back and saved a match point at 5-6 on his serve. He leveled the set in a tiebreak and then found his best form in the deciding match tiebreak to win 2-6, 7-6(5), 10-7, completing a dramatic comeback against Europe’s Vacherot.

At the post-match press conference, Rublev said he had made many technical and mental adjustments after the season ended. During the WTCC, he tried new approaches and expressed his strong desire to play more matches before the new season starts, aiming to be fully prepared for the tour.

The first mixed doubles match of this WTCC was the finale of stage S3. The Paris Olympic silver medalists Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen represented Team World, facing Europe’s pair of Tokyo Olympic women’s singles gold medalist Bencic and Cobolli. After two intense sets, Bencic and Cobolli won 6-3, 7-6(3), securing valuable 2 points for Team Europe.

With stages S2 and S3 concluded, Team World leads Team Europe 6-4 heading into the final day. The narrow 2-point margin keeps the contest suspenseful. The remaining two stages will kick off on December 28: stage S4 opens with Vacherot versus Zhang Zhizhen, followed by a high-level clash between Bencic and Rybakina; stage S5 starts with mixed doubles featuring Swiatek/Vacherot against Rybakina/Rublev, and the men’s singles final between Cobolli and Rublev will decide the championship.

Witness the ultimate showdown of tennis superstars as continental pride hangs in the balance! The decisive final day is imminent. Join us this Sunday at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre to witness the crowning of the inaugural World Tennis Continental Cup (WTCC) champion and capture the pinnacle moments of this year-end tennis extravaganza!