Zhu Lin causes a massive upset, claiming that 31 is her prime age, while Xiaomila's exit casts a shadow over the year-end finals.

The Ningbo 500 witnessed a major upset! The news of Zhu Lin’s comeback victory over the top seed Andreyeva caused a stir in public opinion!

People had assumed that after her first-round upset of former US Open champion Raducanu, Zhu Lin’s biggest surprise in Ningbo was over. Facing the top seed Andreyeva, her advancement seemed impossible, but the Chinese talent managed to pull off another remarkable feat in the second round, astonishing everyone.

After defeating Raducanu, Zhu Lin probably knew that beating Andreyeva in the second round would be very difficult. Her words, “I hope everyone can still see me later,” clearly showed she realized the challenge ahead was tough.

Outside observers doubted Zhu Lin could get past Russia’s Xiaomila, not only because of the skill gap but also due to the vastly different odds offered by bookmakers: Andreyeva at 1.12 and Zhu Lin at 6.0.

Seeing Zhu Lin completely disrespected by the odds, before this key match even started, almost everyone in the live chat said they didn’t care about the result. They just hoped Zhu Lin could perform at her level and leave no regrets, win or lose.

In the opening stage of the first set, Zhu Lin managed to withstand Andreyeva’s attacking power, but as the match progressed, the Chinese star quickly fell behind and lost the first set 4-6.

When Zhu Lin was down 2-3 in the second set under such immense pressure, fans and netizens firmly believed it was hard for the Chinese star to shake Andreyeva’s lead. Many said, “Zhu putting up such a fight against Xiaomila is already comforting; at least she held the match and didn’t collapse.”

After losing everyone’s trust, no one expected Zhu Lin’s racket to turn into a magic wand again. Instead of being quickly finished off by Andreyeva, her tenacity opened a crack in the adversity, allowing a glimmer of hope to shine at her feet.

Then Zhu Lin chased that light, winning four consecutive games in an incredible way, clinching the second set 6-3 and leveling the match, bringing both players back to an even start.

This sudden twist surprised everyone and gradually restored their confidence in her. Especially in the deciding set, when Zhu Lin completely dominated Andreyeva’s momentum and broke serve twice to lead 4-1, the live chat erupted in excitement. At that moment, everyone awaited one outcome: the birth of a huge upset in Ningbo.

At this thrilling moment, Zhu Lin didn’t keep fans waiting long. She closed out the match 6-2, instantly turning the live chat into a sea of celebration. Many expressed disbelief that Zhu Lin had upset Andreyeva, overnight replacing the top seed’s position.

This marks the third time in Zhu Lin’s career that she has defeated a top-10 player! With this victory over Andreyeva, the Chinese star not only jumped 49 spots to No. 170 in the rankings but also earned nearly 180,000 RMB in prize money, making it a highly rewarding win.

However, fans and netizens joked that the happiest people are probably the Ningbo tournament organizers, who likely never expected the wildcard they gave Zhu Lin to bring such a huge surprise.

In a post-match interview about this rollercoaster of a match, Zhu Lin admitted it was very tough to win. Ultimately, she succeeded by abandoning caution and boldly attacking. “I stopped playing conservatively and fully opened up. I told myself to be aggressive throughout the match. Even if I made errors, I had to keep attacking. If I played too cautiously, I would lose quickly. I couldn’t repeat my loss to Andreyeva at the China Open, so I had to stick to attacking. I’m glad my persistence was the right choice.”

Also, when asked about being 31 years old, Zhu Lin joked and didn’t see retirement approaching. “I still believe I am in my prime and am confident I can achieve more victories.”

The victorious Zhu Lin wore a joyful expression, while the early-exit Andreyeva, although not crying this time, now faces uncertainty over her Riyadh year-end finals journey, which has been clouded by this loss.

After the Wuhan Open, the updated WTA year-end finals singles rankings show Andreyeva in seventh place with 4319 points, Badosa eighth with 4131 points, and Rybakina ninth with 3913 points. Since Andreyeva’s second-round exit in Ningbo 500, attentive fans calculated that Badosa has overtaken Xiaomila in the rankings. If Rybakina wins Ningbo, she will push the Russian player out of the top eight. This means the three will fiercely compete for the last two year-end finals spots in upcoming events like the Tokyo 500, intensifying fan interest in who will qualify or be eliminated.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)