On the second match day of Australia Open (AO), the rest four of the total five Chinese attendees kicked off their women's singles journey in the Southern Hemisphere, but only Zhu Lin entered the next round as she made short work of 18-year-old competitor Whitney Osuigwe of the U.S. in the first round, winning 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour.
"I'm super happy that I won this match. I think (Osuigwe) raised her level towards the end of the match, so I'm really happy to win," Zhu told Xinhua in a post-match press conference.
Zhu's expertly placed corner shots and over-stretched Osuigwe, steadily extending her lead. Despite the margin, Zhu remained focussed, earning every point as she went on to claim the final set.
"It's very important to stay focussed, especially for me. Lots of my matches are up and down scores, so I really need to focus on every point. Even if I'm (winning), it's really important to me," Zhu said.
Zhu Lin of China hits a return during the first round of 2021 Australian Open women's singles in Melbourne, Australia, February 9, 2021. /CFP
Zhu will meet Belgian Elise Mertens in round two, who, coming off the back of winning last weeks' Gippsland trophy, is in intimidating form.
"She's a relatively stable player, she doesn't fluctuate much, so for me, it is important to be even more stable than her and bold on key points. I have to be fearless. She is a seeded player and higher ranked than me, so I have nothing to fear," Zhu said.
For all players at the AO this year, the lead-in and preparations have been unlike any other. Zhu explained that not playing an international tournament since the pandemic began meant she had to remain adaptable.
"I joined some domestic matches, but it is different. The lead-in matches gave me a better idea of what details I need to be careful with. After a long time without playing, sometimes you don't know what you should do on the court, and can lose the idea of how to play key points," Zhu said.
On the tournament itself, Zhu said she was grateful to be able to attend despite the differences and uncertainties forced by the pandemic.
"There are fewer spectators, and the general atmosphere is different to previous years and you can't have that much interaction with the fans. Still the AO did a pretty good job and I appreciate the chance to play matches," she said.
Zhang Shuai of China hits a return during the first round of 2021 Australian Open women's singles in Melbourne, Australia, February 9, 2021. /CFP
Veteran Zhang Shuai was knocked out by American newcomer Ann Li, 6-2, 6-0, but will compete in the doubles alongside Australia's Sam Stosur, with the pair teaming up again after winning the event in 2019.
In a post-match press conference, Zhang told Xinhua she was looking forward to playing alongside Stosur, despite being knocked out of a warm-up event last week.
"Every time we step on the court, we are happy with each other and enjoy our games regardless of the results," she said.
Not much separated Zhang and Li in the opening stages of their first-round match-up, with both making costly mistakes as they went shot-for-shot in Melbourne's rising summer heat.
However, it was Li that found her rhythm first, pulling ahead as Zhang's returns landed wide, helping the 20-year-old claim the first set.
Li appeared to move faster and hit harder under the hot Melbourne sun and as Li kicked up a gear, Zhang stalled, falling victim to a powerful and accurate forehand.
"My opponent played well today and suppressed me in many aspects. She also played well in the lead-in matches. I learned a lot from her that could help me improve. So I still got something positive from today's match."
Zhang revealed she was in the process of reconditioning her shoulder, which had been causing issues since late last year.
"I have been feeling not quite well about the shoulder since the end of last year, and have conducting treatment and recovery since then," she said.
"So I am happy that I can play on the court and finish the whole game today, which showed it is gradually recovering."
Zhang and Stosur will face the British-Canadian pairing of Heather Watson and Leylah Annie Fernandez in the first round of the doubles draw on Wednesday.
Wang Yafan of China in action during the 2021 Melbourne Summer Series (Australia Open pre-tournament) in Melbourne, Australia, January 31, 2021. /CFP
Zheng Saisai of China reacts during the first round of 2021 Australian Open women's singles in Melbourne, Australia, February 9, 2021. /CFP
For the other two players, Wang Yafan was defeated by Donna Vekic of Croatia 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, as Zheng Saisai lost to Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-2, 2-6.
Wang Qiang of China reacts during the first round of 2021 Australian Open women's singles in Melbourne, Australia, February 8, 2021. /CFP
On the previous match day's women's singles, China's Wang Qiang was knocked out by Italian Sara Errani 6-2, 4-6, 4-6.
(With input from agencies)