Different fates for the same person! Zhang Shuai's withdrawal leads to a champion's reward, while Leylah and Raducanu's withdrawals result in a double loss for the sisters.

Zhang Shuai has once again become an outstanding representative of good sportsmanship in tennis! By helping Townsend reach the top of the doubles world ranking, she also soothed her inner trauma from being forced to withdraw from the Montreal 1000 qualifying tournament with a doubles championship trophy!

At that time, after Leylah and Raducanu withdrew midway through the semifinals at the Washington 500 and advanced to the finals, fate quickly played a huge joke on Zhang Shuai: which one will you choose, Washington or Montreal?

In the WTA 1000 Montreal qualifying tournament, Zhang Shuai's singles match took place at 3 AM on the 27th; in the WTA 500 Washington doubles final, she was scheduled to appear at 4 AM on the same day. The scheduling conflict between these two important events posed a significant dilemma for Zhang Shuai, as both matches were crucial for her.

There was hope for victory at the Washington 500, and this year's Montreal qualifying reform only required one match to confirm entry into the main draw, making this opportunity very valuable for Zhang Shuai. However, when these two good things appeared simultaneously, joy turned into worry, forcing her to make a choice.

In the end, Zhang Shuai chose to withdraw from the Montreal 1000 tournament.

After making this reluctant decision, everyone felt very sympathetic towards Zhang Shuai, hoping that fate would treat this hardworking girl kindly this time, rewarding her with a doubles championship, unlike the previous three times when she reached the doubles finals and returned empty-handed. Moreover, this time was completely different; Zhang Shuai truly made a significant sacrifice, and if she ended up with nothing, fate would be incredibly cruel to this 36-year-old veteran.

It's worth mentioning that Zhang Shuai's withdrawal from the Montreal 1000 qualifying tournament was somewhat forced, as her partner Townsend also had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts with the Montreal tournament.

Perhaps pushed to the edge with no way out, the two girls hit the gas from the start of the first set, fully committing to winning this doubles championship. With their full firepower and excellent teamwork, they quickly overwhelmed Kenin and Dolehide, winning the first set 6-1.

Entering the second set, Zhang Shuai and Townsend were even more unstoppable. After securing an early break, they continued to elevate their performance, completely breaking down Kenin and Dolehide. When the second set score settled at 6-1, they concluded the match decisively, triumphantly claiming victory at the Washington 500 doubles tournament.

How fired up was the Zhang Shuai duo in this focal battle? From the start to the finish of the match, they maintained peak performance and kept control of the game, which was key to why the two girls secured the championship in just 48 minutes.

After winning the championship, seeing Zhang Shuai's joyful expression, someone in the live stream admitted to crying, stating that although the championship came at the right time, it was not easy and had an element of chance, saying, "Fortunately, we won the championship; otherwise, Zhang Shuai would definitely cry and faint after the match."

With the first tour doubles championship of the new season, Zhang Shuai's doubles world ranking will rise to 12th next week, a double blessing indeed.

After withdrawing, Zhang Shuai ultimately received a doubles championship reward, but Leylah, who also withdrew, was not so fortunate.

When Leylah and her doubles partner Raducanu were trailing Zhang Shuai and Townsend 1-4 in the semifinals, they made the decisive choice to withdraw midway through the match to conserve energy for a strong push towards the singles final at the Washington 500.

At that time, when people saw Leylah's semifinal opponent was Fernandez, many believed the former Wimbledon champion had a good chance of reaching the finals, and withdrawing could lead her to the desired outcome.

However, it was unexpected that Fernandez, determined to face Leylah, unleashed incredible energy, pushing the match to a climax from the first set and creating significant trouble for the former Wimbledon champion.

The reason this focal battle has continued to be talked about is that the two fought for three sets to determine the winner, with each set going to tiebreaks, creating a tense and thrilling atmosphere that completely engaged fans and online viewers. It is considered the most exciting women's singles matchup of the Washington 500 this year, without a doubt.

Unfortunately, fate did not choose to favor Leylah's sacrifice this time, but instead smiled upon Fernandez, who was not highly regarded before the match, helping her reach the finals of the first tour of the new season.

Leylah's doubles partner Raducanu also followed in the footsteps of the Kazakh beauty after her withdrawal, losing to Kalinskaya in the semifinals and also being blocked from the finals. The two Grand Slam champions' withdrawals resulted in a double loss, which was quite surprising!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Starry Sky)