Is it that Zhang Shuai is too outstanding and fate is envious of her beauty, or is it that the heavens are deliberately testing her resolve to surprise her later? When the news broke that Zhang Shuai had withdrawn from the Cincinnati 1000 tournament, many were taken aback, unable to understand why such a cruel event had occurred to her again.
This withdrawal from the Cincinnati singles qualifiers, like her previous withdrawal from Montreal, was not Zhang Shuai's personal wish but a result of external circumstances.
At that time, after Zhang Shuai and American player Townsend reached the doubles final at the Washington 500 tournament, the draw for the Montreal singles qualifiers was released, leaving Zhang Shuai stunned. Both matches were scheduled on the same day, with only an hour in between; such a grueling schedule would overwhelm anyone, no matter how capable they were. Ultimately, she had to prioritize doubles and withdrew from singles.
The silver lining is that although it was unfortunate not to compete in the Montreal singles qualifiers, winning the doubles championship at the Washington 500 tournament was a huge consolation for both Zhang Shuai and her fans.
Initially, it was thought that such incidents would not recur, but unexpectedly, after Zhang Shuai and Townsend advanced to the doubles semifinals at the Montreal 1000 tournament, the previous dilemma from the Washington 500 tournament resurfaced.
For Zhang Shuai, to maintain her hope of winning the doubles championship at the Montreal 1000 tournament, she could not participate in the Cincinnati 1000 qualifiers. Conversely, if she chose to compete in Cincinnati, she would have to sacrifice her and Townsend's interests, giving up the chance to contend for the title in Montreal.
In the end, Zhang Shuai made the concession to withdraw from the Cincinnati 1000 qualifiers and chose to stay in Montreal to continue competing in doubles.
Twice, at critical moments, Zhang Shuai was forced to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts. Fans and netizens discussing this matter expressed their uncertainty about whether to feel happy for her or to see it as a cruel twist of fate for the 36-year-old veteran.
Zhang Shuai's withdrawals at crucial moments in major tournaments indicate that she has progressed to deeper rounds, which is indeed a positive aspect. However, the identical reasons for her withdrawals raise questions about whether fate is envious of her excellence, presenting her with constant challenges. Thus, is her fate somewhat tragic?
Moreover, the public's reaction to Zhang Shuai's unfortunate withdrawal from the Cincinnati 1000 qualifiers was noticeably more emotional than during her previous withdrawal from the Montreal 1000 tournament, related to two factors: first, after withdrawing from the Montreal singles qualifiers, Zhang Shuai's team had already secured a spot in the final. From a standpoint of maximizing benefits, it was understandable for anyone to withdraw at that moment. However, withdrawing now, without certainty of advancing to the doubles final at the Montreal 1000, seems more like a gamble; second, this withdrawal from the Cincinnati 1000 qualifiers forced Zhang Shuai to pause her pursuit of the TOP 100 ranking, raising concerns about whether she might miss this significant opportunity forever, filled with uncertainty.
It is precisely this second reason that makes fans and netizens feel that this withdrawal is an immense torment for Zhang Shuai, whether she withdraws or not. This situation is somewhat different from the previous one: withdrawing would lead to significant personal loss; not withdrawing, however, feels somewhat unfair to Townsend.
According to the latest WTA rankings, Zhang Shuai is currently just 86 points away from breaking into the TOP 100. With her withdrawal from Cincinnati, she is effectively distancing herself from this goal. Hoping to achieve this target at the US Open is extremely difficult, unless Zhang Shuai performs exceptionally well at that time.
Furthermore, if she misses the chance to enter the TOP 100 at the US Open, her hopes of achieving this goal during the subsequent Chinese season may become even slimmer. Throughout October, Zhang Shuai needs to defend 256 points; to break into the TOP 100, she must retain all these points and also earn satisfactory additional points. Otherwise, she would have to wait until next year to pursue her TOP 100 goal. And what the situation will be like next year poses an even greater challenge for Zhang Shuai, who is already 36.
Therefore, given the significant sacrifices Zhang Shuai has made, many believe that if she fails to win the doubles championship at the Montreal 1000 tournament, it would be a great loss. They hope that fate will treat her kindly in the final, just as it did in the Washington 500 tournament! Currently, Zhang Shuai and Townsend have strongly advanced to the final by sweeping Kenin and Dolehide, with their opponents for the championship being Gauff and Kessler. They hope everything follows the script from Washington to heal Zhang Shuai's emotional wounds from her unfortunate withdrawal! (Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River's Starry Sky)