China's Zhu Lin's spirited home run comes to end in Ningbo Open quarterfinals

Zhu Lin's spirited hardcourt home run came to an end at the Ningbo Open, as Diana Shnaider rallied to snatch a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 win in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The 31‑year‑old, the last Chinese player remaining in the draw, gave the center‑court crowd early reasons to cheer after taking the opening set 6‑2, suggesting that another upset was in the cards, following her earlier triumphs against Emma Raducanu and top seed Mirra Andreeva.

But Shnaider, unfazed, gradually seized control. The 21-year-old Russian steadied her serve, pushed Zhu onto the defensive in the second, and leveled the match 6‑3. In the decider Zhu appeared to tire, as Shnaider closed with a one‑sided 6‑1 set to book her place in the semifinals.

Shnaider will face compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova next, while Zhu heads to the Guangzhou Open, hoping to turn the sparks she showed in Ningbo into a sustained run of form.