At present, on the WTA world ranking list, the post-00s Chinese Jinhua Zheng Qinwen, Wang Xinyu, Wang Xiyu, Bai Zhuoxuan, the post-90s Chinese Jinhua Zhu Lin and Wang Yafan, and the post-95 Chinese Jinhua Yuan Yue have all entered the TOP100. This is the first time in history that seven Chinese golden flowers are in the top 100 at the same time. Coincidentally, these seven Chinese golden flowers have also entered the Australian Open main draw list. However, even so, there are still many fans who feel that today's Chinese women's tennis cannot be compared with the era of "Li Na and Zheng Jie". Indeed, today's Chinese women's tennis may be enough in number to match or even surpass the era of "Li Na and Zheng Jie", but a little more effort is needed in terms of Grand Slam results and cultivating new forces.
However, on January 9, 2024, two Chinese Jinhua, who reached the Grand Slam qualifiers for the first time in their careers, told these fans with their performances that they may be the new force that Chinese women's tennis is looking for. At the same time, in the first round of the WTA 250 Hobart Championship, a Chinese golden flower also conquered many fans with his own performance, making the Chinese derby appear for the second time. So, who are these Chinese golden flowers, who are their opponents, and how do they perform on the tennis court? Today, let the humble article take you to see it.
On this day, it was Wei Sijia who took the lead. Previously, she had been competing in the ITF arena. This time, because of the withdrawal of many players, Wei Sijia, who was originally on the substitute list, was lucky enough to get a place in the Australian Open qualifying tournament. However, in the first round of qualifying, she will face Slovenia's Hrenchakova, who had defeated "China's Sava" Wang Xinyu last year and has some quality. However, in this match, Wei Sijia used her serve to suppress her opponent well. In two sets, she allowed Hrenchakova to win just five games to claim her first career Grand Slam qualifying victory.
In the subsequent qualifying round, Ma Yexin appeared in front of our eyes. Like Wei Sijia, she is also making her debut on the stage of a Grand Slam qualifier. The difference is that because Ma Yexin has a good performance in the ITF field in the 2023 season, she has locked in the 2024 Australian Open qualifying place early. In the first round of the qualifying round, Ma Yexin's opponent was Peruvian player Burgaru. In this match, Bulgaru caused a lot of trouble for Ma Yexin, but fortunately, when the score was behind in the first set, Ma Yexin adjusted her form in time, and finally defeated her opponent in straight sets and won the first Grand Slam qualifying tournament in her career.
Perhaps thanks to the good news of the two compatriots' victories, Yuan Yue, who made it to the first round of the WTA 250 Hobart from qualifying, was not afraid to face former US Open champion Stephens. In the first set, when the score was dead, she broke her opponent's serve and won the set point. After that, Yuan Yue did not give her opponent any more chances, and won the first set neatly and seizing the opportunity to advance.
In the second set, Stephens, who was unwilling to be restrained, broke Yuan Yue's serve game in a row and maintained the score advantage until the end of the set, and the two sides had to enter the deciding set. In the deciding set, Yuan Yue gradually recovered and took a big lead. However, Stephens fought back, levelling the score and putting it out with a powerful serve. At this time, Yuan Yue broke the opponent's serve to win the game and dragged the game into a tie-break. In the tie-break, Yuan Yue was a step ahead and won the game. It is worth mentioning that this is Yuan Yue's first victory over a Grand Slam champion. Objectively speaking, for Yuan Yue, this victory is worth remembering.
Many people may say that a Grand Slam qualifying victory is not something to boast about, but if you see that Wei Sijia and Ma Yexin are ranked higher in the world than them, you may think that their victory is commendable. What's even more gratifying is that on January 9, Wang Xinyu, who was the last to appear, also defeated her opponent after a three-set fierce battle, and she will start the "Chinese Derby" with Yuan Yue in the second round of WTA 250 Hobart. Last week, in the "Chinese Derby" with Wang Xiyu, Wang Xinyu lost to her opponent, how will "Chinese Shawa" perform this time? Let's wait and see. (*Tennis Home Author: Yixin Jushi).