Victory again! Wang Xinyu stuns Noskova and sets three records, fans say: Melbourne Park turns from a curse into a blessing

After the intense match against the Czech player Noskova, many people’s first reaction was: Melbourne Park is finally no longer Wang Xinyu’s “unlucky ground,” but has become her new lucky venue.

Before this year’s breakthrough at Melbourne Park, the Australian Open was Wang Xinyu’s worst Grand Slam performance, which is why when she unexpectedly defeated former French Open champion Ostapenko in the second round, her supporters celebrated as if it were a festival, having finally overcome the curse of losing early and advanced to the last 32 in a breakthrough.

It is often said that people’s desires tend to grow with success, and this is absolutely true. Just after Wang Xinyu reached the Australian Open’s last 32 for the first time, fans and netizens quickly set a new goal: dare she push herself further to reach the round of 16 and set a new personal best at the Australian Open?

However, facing the tough Czech powerhouse Noskova in the third round, hoping Wang Xinyu would continue her upset streak was clearly a tall order.

Besides many believing there was a clear skill gap between Wang Xinyu and the Czech player, the betting odds also shifted: while bookmakers had supported Wang in the second round, this time they favored Noskova, with Wang’s odds at 3 to 1 and Noskova’s at 1.4 to 1, showing little confidence in another upset by China’s No. 2.

Few questioned the odds because the Australian Open is considered one of Noskova’s favorite tournaments; her career breakthrough happened here when she shocked the world by defeating then world No. 1 Swiatek in the 2024 Australian Open third round, producing a massive upset.

Moreover, Noskova’s performance and form during this year’s Australian Open appeared stronger and more consistent than Wang Xinyu’s, making an upset even harder to achieve.

Therefore, many lowered their expectations for Wang Xinyu, thinking that as long as she could push the match to three sets, even a loss would be honorable; losing in straight sets but playing normally would also be acceptable.

Before the match, Wang Xinyu described Noskova’s playing style simply as “fast,” which led some to speculate that Wang would have to start aggressively from the first set; if she started slow as before, Noskova might have ended the match before Wang could recover.

From the first set, both Wang Xinyu and Noskova aggressively took the initiative, pushing the match to an intense level. Until the fourth game ended, neither player gave ground, both pressing hard with full force and engaging in a fierce battle.

Although the match was interrupted by high temperatures, after resuming, the tension quickly returned and remained high through the first eight games, with neither player gaining control of the set.

It was only in the eleventh game that Noskova faltered, committing crucial double faults and errors, allowing Wang Xinyu to seize the break and take the set 7-5.

Seeing Wang not only avoid defeat but claim the first set surprised and delighted fans and netizens, who hoped she could maintain momentum to upset Noskova in straight sets and avoid the uncertainty of a third set.

Noskova, bearing the greater pressure, clearly showed strong determination to even the score, but Wang Xinyu, boosted by confidence and morale, fought back fiercely, making the first eight games of the second set almost unbearable in intensity.

While many expected a tiebreak in the second set, Noskova’s eagerness to equalize led to a critical mistake during a fast attack, resulting in an early break and Wang advancing to 5-4, reaching a pivotal point in the match.

In her service game to close out the match, Wang Xinyu earned praise for her steady performance without the usual fluctuations, smoothly winning 6-4 and announcing another incredible display at Melbourne Park.

From the initial excitement of reaching the Australian Open’s last 32 to breaking her best record by advancing to the round of 16 and the second week, fans’ cheers echoed loudly, praising Wang as a remarkable underdog who delivered a stunning victory over a stronger opponent.

After defeating Noskova, Wang Xinyu also set three personal records: first, reaching the second week of the Australian Open for the first time; second, increasing her Grand Slam second-week appearances to three; and third, achieving last 16 finishes at the US Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)