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China's Yuan Yue clinched her first WTA 1000 win on Saturday, coming back from one set down to beat Belgian veteran Elise Mertens 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the China Open first round.
It was the first time Yuan, who is ranked No. 147 in the world, has beaten a top-30 player. She will play the winner of the match between Italian Jasmine Paolini and Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in the next round.
Yuan Yue in action during China Open women's singles first round in Beijing, China, September 30, 2023. /CFP
Yuan and Mertens took turns to break in the deciding set, but the Chinese player wrapped up victory 6-4. She expressed gratitude to the organizers for the wildcard that exempted her from the qualifying round, as well as support from the home crowd.
Joining Yuan to represent China in the tournament is newly crowned Asiad champion Zheng Qinwen, along with Wang Xiyu, Wang Xinyu, Zhu Lin and Tian Fangran.
Zheng, who is now the highest-ranked Chinese player at No. 23, will start her campaign in Beijing on Monday with a tough draw. She will meet world No. 5 and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan in the first round.
Zheng, who beat Zhu to give China a 1-2 finish in the ongoing Hangzhou Asian Games, told the press after her Asiad victory that she has a 50-50 chance against Rybakina.
As the China Open is the last WTA 1000 tour of the season, the stakes are high in Beijing for those attempting to qualify for the year-ending finals. Top players including Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, Iga Swiatek from Poland and Coco Gauff of the U.S. are eyeing a title that offers 1,000 points on October 8.
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466